Harry Potter, the Lord
by sadowhunter
Summary: AU Harry Potter is not the BWL. I have not yet decided what the pairing will be. Please review!
1. The Turning

**Preview**

Thi story will include vampires and other magical creatures. Because the books do not describe any vampire specifics and magical creatures relations I will have to make that up.

I do not own Harry Potter and I'm not earning any money from this.

In my story there are three kinds of vampires:

1. The Crimson court vampires are the weakest. They are the most numerous (about 90% of all vampires) but are little more than beasts. The scent of blood will allow their instincts to take control as they cannot live on anything else. They are deathly pale with slitted red eyes, over-sized fangs. Basically they are your typical bloodsuckers. Sunlight is lethal to them (stakes to the heart will kill just about anyone) although holy water is useless against them. Garlic is unpleasant to them because it has such a strong odor. When they bite a human (muggle or wizard) they will either kill or turn him (they cannot breed). Humans turn into a crimson court vampire if they are not magical or their magical powers are very weak. None of the crimson court vampires can use magic but they are extremely fast, strong and their senses are extremely well developed. They also possess a minor magic resistance. Their strength increases as they age (as does their intellect) and they can live around 1000 years if not killed. They are outcasts of the vampire society and divided into covens, which constantly fighting each other over territory. When one coven gets too powerful the stronger vampires wipe them off the face of the earth.

2. The Silver court vampires are stronger. They are fewer in number (a little less than 10% of all vampires) but are intelligent and can control their urges. They require blood to survive but can ingest small quantities of "normal" food without problems. Their skin is still pale but they don't look like living corpses. They can be recognized by their reflective silver eyes with round pupils. They can also control the size of their fangs (within reason). Most people will say they are attractive. Sunlight, although still harmful, is not lethal and garlic is unpleasant to them. They can choose whether to turn their victim or not (although when really hungry they can loose themselves to blood-lust and kill/turn their victim without wanting to). They can also have children although the chances of it happening are significantly lower than with humans. A witch or wizard will turn into a silver court vampire if their magic is strong. The Turning will weaken their magic (most have trouble with post-OWL spells) but they usually get a gift to compensate (besides strength, speed, senses, etc.) like minor fire manipulation or metamorphmagus abilities. Like crimson court vampires their basic vampiric abilities get stronger as they age although they are already stronger and faster than your average crimson court vampire. Their lifespans are about 2000 years if not killed. They live in a society that recognizes power above all other things (magical, political, physical).

3. The Black court vampires are by far the strongest. They are very few in number (usually there are around 4 alive with less than 10 being alive), can almost fully control their urges and are highly intelligent. They require blood to survive but can substitute it with "normal" food for a limited time-frame (require blood every 2 weeks). They retain their former looks (for the most part) although they become pale and they become more attractive. They can control the size of their fangs and can easily be mistaken for humans. Sunlight is not harmful although they can get sunburns rather quickly and most things with a strong odor is a deterrent. They can turn someone at will and will very rarely succumb to blood-lust (usually with terrible consequences). Black court vampires can also transform into a more feral form in which their eyes become slitted and their hands become clawed. Only those with very powerful magical powers, strong will and a lot of luck will turn into black court vampires. Their magical powers will be strengthened and they will get a couple of gifts besides the typical vampiric powers (strengths, speed, senses, quick healing, etc.). They get stronger as they age and their lifespans are not known because none have died of natural causes. They rule over the silver court vampires in the form of a council. The reason that there aren't more of them is that they waged war upon each other for power.

Both silver and black court vampires can use wands.

Now for a little background history on this story's Harry James Potter:

He was born on 8. August 1980 as the only son of James "Prongs" Potter and Lily Potter, nee Evans. His parents died a few days before Neville Longbottom defeated Lord Voldemort aka Tom Marvolo Riddle on Halloween 1981. Lily and James died fighting death eaters. Yes, Neville is "The Boy Who Lived" (Harry doesn't have a scar).

Because his godfather Sirius Black was arrested before Voldemorts defeat for being a death eater (was framed by Peter Pettigrew, who is reported dead) and Remus Lupin is a werewolf he was given to his aunt and uncle under severe threats should they abuse him. Remus had tried to contact Harry but his appeal was denied because he was a dark creature.

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**The Turning**

Number Four Private Drive is a perfectly normal house. It has a perfectly trimmed lawn and looks exactly the same as any other house. It houses a normal family called the Dursleys. The father's name is Vernon Dursley, the wife's name is Petunia Dursley and their adorable little son is called Dudley Dursley. But this perfect family has a secret. And the whole secret can be explained in two words: Harry Potter.

Harry Potter, now there's an enigma. He has bright emerald green eyes, a mop of untamable raven black hair. He is rather short for his age but other than that he looks like a normal child. He is Petunia Dursley's nephew, the son of her sister. But although they say that blood runs thicker than water, that was not the situation here. It was quite obvious to anyone willing to look that Harry Potter was not welcome at Number Four Private Drive. He lived in the smallest bedroom in the house and ever since he was four the Dursleys piled more and more chores for him to do. He was constantly hungry, only eating leftovers and scraps. The Dursleys never hurt him physically but they constantly attacked him mentally and emotionally. They even spread lies around the neighbourhood to discourage other children to play with him.

But Harry was very smart, in fact he could be considered a genius. He knew that the Dursley's treatment of him was wrong. They constantly insulted him and his parents. Some of the chores he had to do were far too difficult for such a young boy. Who would expect a four year old boy to cook for a family or a five year old boy to mow the lawn.

When he was six he got glasses, which were far too big for his small head. His cousin Dudley started making fun of him and soon other boys joined in. In time Dudley and his friends started doing more than make fun of him. Dudley also bullied anyone that wanted to become friends with Harry.

Both he and Dudley started school when they were seven. In school Dudley and his friends were constantly bullying other children and Harry was their favourite victim because he did well in school. Harry could never play freely on the playground so he sought refuge inside the school library reading books and doing homework with the occasional help from Mrs. Simons, the school librarian.

One day Dudley and his gang were playing another game of "Harry hunting", which included trying to catch Harry and beating him up. Harry was running away from them when he wished, "I have to get away from them, I have to..." and suddenly felt some kind of energy under his skin before disappearing with a *pop* and having the sensation of being squeezed through a small tube. After regaining his senses he found himself on the school roof. 'How did I get up here?' thought Harry. After managing to climb down he thought, 'I know I did that, maybe I can do it again. I was really scared when I wished it so maybe thats the key, but I can't get scared just because I want to. Hmm.'

When he returned from school his uncle was furious, "Boy! Dudley told me you did some kind of disappearing act while you were in school."

"It's not true uncle, he must have missed me making a turn." Harry said.

Vernon turned a shade of purple and said, "It better be, boy. I won't have any of your freakishness under my roof!"

Harry just nodded and went to his room. In his room he lay on the bed and thought, 'What kind of freakishness was he talking about? Does he know something? Well, no matter, I still have to try that teleporting thing but first I need to feel that energy again. I heard that meditating helps with focusing on something, maybe that's the key.' With this in mind harry sat on his bed in a pose he saw on television and tried meditating. 'I don't know what to focus on, maybe on that feeling I had.' thought Harry. 'Think of a place your at peace, let your body relax. Calm your breathing. OK good, now focus on that feeling.' Harry tried to remember the feeling, 'Like a rushing current of warm water just under my skin' After about three hours meditating Harry saw himself floating in a black abyss when he suddenly saw a light green light. It lead to a small ball of bright green energy. Opening his eyes he said, "This is the feeling!" But as soon as it came it went leaving Harry disappointed. 'Why do I have this power anyway. Now that I think about it I never had a haircut, my hair just hasn't grown. I'll think about it tomorrow.'

In the morning he was woken by Petunia's shrill voice, "Up, up! Today's saturday, you have yardwork to do."

After eating his meager breakfast he was given a list of his chores for the day. Upon completing his chores he went back to his room to practice his "power".

Two weeks later he finally managed to keep control of the energy for more than a few moments. He found out that imagining it helped and after a couple of weeks he could call upon it in a second. Because he didn't want to end up somewhere in the middle of nowhere he decided not to try the teleporting for now. He was certain that it could be used for something else. 'Maybe if I throw it at something' thought Harry. He picked a pencil lying on his desk. It rolled away a couple of feet but it left Harry really tired. 'I think i'm gonna pass out' thought an exhausted harry before falling asleep.

Harry continued practising making things move and even float. He found that it was easier to send out short bursts than to keep something floating. His magical powers grew and it became easier and easier. He could even levitate a book! But it made him exhausted. The Dursleys didn't suspect a thing. But when the school year finished and Dudley and Harry brought their report cards all hell broke loose.

Vernon Dursley was a proud, hardworking man. But he was also impulsive and had a temperament that put a rabid dog to shame. He barely restrained himself when it came to Harry, only the threats, made by the ministry auror that brought Harry, kept him in line. Seeing his perfect son outdone by "the freak" made Mt. Vernon explode.

"BOY!!!" thundered Vernon, "Come into the kitchen!"

As soon as Harry entered the kitchen his uncle grabbed him, lifted him up to eye level and started yelling at him, "Is this how you repay us for our generosity!?! By making Dudley look bad in front of his friends and teachers? Dudley's told me all about your cheating and bullying at school. He says you threatened him if he didn't get bad grades!" Vernon emphasized this by throwing Harry on the floor and kicking him. "We took you in out of pure goodness and you threaten our son! Just like your parents. You're all useless freaks!!!" Through all of this Vernon kept hitting Harry who was too stunned to reply.

Harry's mind was hazy, then he saw Dudley's smirking face and his aunts happy expression and he grew angry beyond belief. He banished his uncle across the kitchen and slowly stood up.

Vernon's face showed fear when he looked at Harry again but Harry didn't care. Harry started shouting at Vernon, "Done for me? Done for me?! I've returned everything you've done for me a thousand times. I do all the gardening, cooking and cleaning inside this house!" Harry was slowly advancing towards Vernon and levitated a kitchen knife, making it hover in front of Vernon's face. "All my life you've called me names, insulted my parents and made me do chores. If you didn't have anything to say you've ignored me. I've been fed scraps and leftovers while your son is turning into a living pig! You've blamed for everything bad that happened to you since I can remember." Vernon looked like he pissed himself, "That is called abuse. _dear_ uncle." With that said, he went upstairs.

As soon as he reached his bed the adrenaline rush ended and he was suddenly feeling very sore and tired.

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The Dursleys stayed clear of Harry after that night. This suited him just fine. He stayed in his room, only coming downstairs to eat and take a walk in the evening.

He meditated and practiced his powers all day long. After much experimenting he managed to summon a small ball of light at the top of one of his fingers but that left him drained even after a couple of seconds. He also managed to grow out his hair and discovered that he could make any hair on his body grow or shorten but couldn't do anything beyond that. He also tried to teleport but he just couldn't seem to do it. But most of his time was spent on improving his control and add more power to his spells (although he doesn't call them that yet).

Over the summer he grew a bit although he still looked very small in Dudley's old clothes. He decided to hide his abilities in school and get grades that were just above average but not extraordinary so and became very good at blending into the background. He spent a little time every day in the school library reading about mythical creatures, old legends and ancient civilizations. He was fascinated and amused by the ideas that they offered, but was more inclined to reading philosophy and developing his intellect.

He also thought about reporting the Dursleys to the proper authoroties for child neglect and child abuse but decided against it because he didn't have a lot of trust in adults and he didn't think that Vernon was above bribing the officials.

Although Harry didn't realize it yet, he was becoming more and more critical towards society and started looking down on people he thought were disposable. A psychologist would tell you that he was starting to develop minor sociopathic tendencies.

Vernon had a few more outbursts because Harry kept getting better grades than Dudley and it was up to Petunia to keep him out of trouble. He was convinced that Dudley was telling the truth about Harry bullying children at school and cheating. After all, why would his perfect son lie about it? He even bribed Dudley with pocket money to try and catch Harry doing it and get him in trouble with the teachers.

But Harry's life was about to be changed forever.

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It was early in the summer after Harry's second year in school. The evening was warm and the sun has just set over Little Whinging.

Harry Potter was inside his bedroom, lying on the bed, bored. He was tired of practising and decided to take a walk. His family went to aunt Marge for a week, leaving him the key to the house (he had to fight and threaten Vernon for it) and enough money for food.

He was walking on the side of the road looking at houses and thinking, 'Disgusting. Don't these people have any imagination at all? All of these houses look the same. They are sheep. Very few are willing to step out of the herd and actually do something. But, they have their purpose I suppose. I wonder if people are different elsewhere. Are they more innovative or are they the same?'

Harry was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that he left the main road and was walking through an alley. Neither did he notice a pair of red eyes watching his every movement.

'I wonder how people would react if they knew about my powers.' Harry chuckled, 'I'd probably be dragged into a top secret government lab and be used as a lab rat. Although it certainly couldn't be worse than all the years living at the Dursleys.' He thought about all the medieval tortures, 'Then again maybe they could outdo the Dursleys.' he thought darkly.

Hearing something, he turned around but nothing was there. Thinking he was hearing things, he turned back but hit a man. Quickly muttering an apology he looked up and froze. The man had red eyes and pale skin but what attracted Harry's attention were two large fangs that jutted past his lower lip. The man was grinning and Harry started backing away but the man grabbed him, "Now, now. It's not nice for prey to run. HeHeHe."

Harry thought, 'Oh, great. I only have a walk and now I'm in the hands of a sick freak!' Harry tried to squirm out of his grip but the man was too strong. The red-eyed man was slowly adwancing on Harry, seemingly being amused by his struggles.

Harry started panicking and struggling. Although he hit the man many times the man only seemed more amused. Harry than got an idea and nailed the creep right between his legs. The mans knees went out and Harry ran away as fast as he could.

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.' were Harry's panicked thoughts, 'What the hell is that guy? I know I'm just a kid but he should have at least felt something when I hit him.' Harry then heard something behind him, he turned his head and saw the red-eyed man running after him a lot faster than he thought was possible. But what scared Harry the most was that now he looked furious and ready to rip Harry apart. "Get away you sick freak!" yelled Harry but the man just covered the distance between them faster and hit Harry. 'Ugh. I feel like I've been hit by a truck.' thought Harry as his legs gave way and his glasses shattered on the ground.

The man grabbed Harry by the neck held him against the wall of the alley, "I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream." said the man while slowly dragging his sharp fingernails over Harry's neck, "Your not even going to satisfy me. HeHe."

Harry yelled at him, "I don't have any money you sick pedophile."

"I don't want your money foolish boy." said the man while grinning, "I want your BLOOD!" and bit Harry's neck.

Harry's mouth opened in a scream that was quickly silenced by the man's hand closing around his mouth. Harry felt a burning sensation travel from his neck, 'This guy is drinking my blood! I have to get away!' were his horror filled thoughts.

The next moment can be described as pure chaos. Harry's magic reacted violently against the danger and Harry sent the man flying to the other side of the alley with an overpowered banisher. Harry fell to his knees, breathing heavily and looked at the man who was already rising with Harry's blood running down his chin. The mans eyes showed fear, surprise and a little bit of anticipation but Harry's thoughts revolved only around escaping, 'I have to get out of here. This man will kill me. I have to go back to my bedroom, back to the Dursleys. I have to ...'

Harry disappeared with a *pop* and reappeared inside his bedroom at Number Four Private Drive. Through his haze Harry managed to feel something trickling down his neck and felt the burning sensation that already spread through his entire body. Grabbing the wounded side of his neck with his right hand he fell onto the bed. His last thoughts before darkness took him were, 'Is this what dieing feels like? It's not so bad.'

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Please review

This is my first story and I want to know what my faults are so I can fix them.


	2. The Changes

**The Changes**

Harry awoke in two days later in the middle of the night feeling sore all over. After pulling himself upright he wiped the sweat off his brow. Opening his eyes required more effort than he thought, 'What the hell happened here?' The bed sheets were bloody and ripped looking as if a wild beast was unleashed. Looking around his room he saw his pillow lying on the other side of his room with claw marks over it. Looking at his hands harry could only look. His nails lengthened and hardened, looking more like claws than anything else. Harry also absentmindedly noted that his right hand was covered in dried blood. He quickly jumped out of his bed but landed on the other side of his room, near the door. Panicking he tried to open the door only for the doorknob to stay in his hand. Trying to control his growing panic he gently opened the door, dropping the doorknob on the floor. After managing to get to the bathroom he turned on the light only to cry out in pain as his sensitive eyes were assaulted by the bright light. Feeling around blindly for the light switch he finally managed to turn it off. When he finally arrived at the mirror he could only gape at his appearance, "Oh my god."

His previously bright emerald green eyes turned a few shades darker and were slitted. They looked as if a dark green energy was dancing within them and were reflecting the light. His attention was then drawn to the two sharp looking fangs that now jutted past his lower lip. Only after feeling his fangs with his tongue and and opening his mouth was he convinced that they were real. He then noticed his bloody shirt and the dried flakes of blood on his neck. Feeling the area with his hand he thought, 'That's where that sicko bit me.'

He started shivering, quickly threw his clothes on the ground and went to the shower. He scrubbed himself for more than two hours as if it would reverse the changes, 'I feel so dirty, used.' he thought. 'How can someones bite cause this? He wasn't a vampire was he? Vampires aren't real.' although he sounded like he wanted to convince himself. Looking at his clothes on the ground he turned off the water, dried himself and took them to the garage. He took out some gasoline and a match and burned the clothes in an old barrel in the garden shed, 'That's how the crook always gets rid of the evidence on TV.' While the fire was burning he heard something running and a fast beating sound. Feeling as if time froze he slowly turned around, instincts taking over, and with lightning quick reflexes grabbed a mouse that was running around. 'How could I hear it? Aren't they supposed to be quiet? And what the hell is that beating?' he thought before examining the mouse. With a start he realized he was hearing its heartbeat. Harry also noticed that he could smell it very clearly. Shaken, he went back into the house after releasing the mouse in the garden.

Looking at the clock he was surprised to see that it was 4am and two days after he was attacked. Going back to his room he sighed at the door and at the mess, 'I totally forgot the sheets and the pillow. I'll have to burn them too, I doubt the Dursleys would notice anyway. I'll have to repair the door though, even they will notice that.' After getting dressed he sat on the floor looking very scared, 'Whats going to happen to me? I can't hide a big change like this. The Dursleys will use this to get rid of me.' he thought with tears running down his cheeks and shivering. 'I'm too young to die or be used as a lab rat.' Harry went back into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Although he looked much better with clean clothes he still didn't know how to hide the changes to his eyes, mouth and hands. 'I have to hide these things.' he thought, unconsciously willing it to happen. Before his very eyes his pupils became round again and his eyes were no longer reflecting the meager light. His fangs shortened and when he opened his mouth he saw that they were only a little sharper than normal. He looked down and, sure enough, his claws retreated back to normal looking fingernails although he could tell that they were still harder and sharper than normal. 'OK. That was unexpected.' he thought, 'Maybe I can change again.' He wished it and his features changed again, 'Well, that's useful.' he thought and changed his features back to normal and feeling tired from all the excitement and his emotional breakdown. Harry went back to his bedroom, threw the sheets next to the pillow, closed the curtains and went to sleep after thinking, 'I'll have to experiment later.'

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'I hate the sun' decided Harry. After being waken up by a cacophony of loud noises, mostly cars, he jumped out of bed only to hit the wall after underestimating his own strength. But the worst thing is that he accidentally opened the curtains when he jumped, which allowed sunlight to stream into the room. At first Harry was afraid that he would disintegrate into dust as vampires were prone to do in movies but he soon discovered that the worst thing was the suns brightness, which irritated his eyes and gave him a mayor headache. After managing to close the curtains Harry sat behind his desk, took out some paper and started making a list of changes. 'Let's see, besides the obvious changes I had last night I can see everything perfectly without my glasses and in the dark. Hell, I can even see the cracks on the wall and I'm pretty certain that I shouldn't be able to do that. I could hear that mouse yesterday even though they are usually far too quiet. Not to mention that I could hear its heartbeat.' he shivered, 'That was creepy. I could smell it too. Catching it was instinct so maybe that's a change too. I can even smell the paint on the walls, and that dried blood on the sheets. Strange that I didn't smell the fire last night. Although I guess I was a little preoccupied to notice. I also noticed that those bite marks that sicko gave me were already gone when I was in the shower. Does it mean that I heal very quickly now or was it a one-time thing? I hope its permanent, it would be awesome to heal that fast. I think I have increased strength too.' he looked at the doorknob that was still lying on the floor, 'I think I'm gonna have to practice so I'm gentler. I don't think Petunia would like it if I broke all her dishes.' he chuckled. 'I'm probably faster too but I'll have to experiment with that.'

'I'm gonna have a lot of work, I hope my eyes will get used to sunlight soon, I guess it's a good thing I live in England. I read that in some places the weather is sunny most of the time.' Noticing that he was hungry he went downstairs, closed the curtains in the whole house (with difficulty), cooked himself a couple of eggs and poured himself a glass of milk. He was very surprised at how quickly he was sated, 'It's as if I don't have to eat as much now.' Noticing how he still seemed to crave something he frowned but thought it inconsequential.

Going to the garage, he took out a couple of tools and went back to his bedroom to repair the doorknob. After fiddling with the doorknob for thirty minutes he managed to reattach it to the door with some special glue, 'At least those times of helping Vernon fix things were good for something.' He went to his desk and started thinking of exercises to find out his limits, 'Strength is easy. I just need to find things to lift. Speed is a little more difficult. I can't just go to someone and ask them to time me while I run. The same with endurance. If I really have supernatural powers then that would look really odd. The healing test should be easy. I'll just make a small cut on my arm and pay attention to it while it heals. Reflexes should be a little more difficult but I'll think of something.'

'I think I'm going to have the most trouble with my senses and new instincts. I'll have to think of a way to adapt my eyesight to daylight and I can't jump 10ft in the air every time a loud noise surprises me. I also noticed many new smells today but didn't know what most of them meant so I'm going to have to experiment a bit. The worst thing, though, was garlic. It just stinks so much. I doubt it's poisonous to me but I'm sure it would knock me out if the scent was too powerful. The same thing would probably happen with other things that have a strong scent at least until I get used to it. Oh! That reminds me. Vampires are said to be really cold so I'll have to take my body temperature.'

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The days leading up to the Dursleys return were very informative and exciting to Harry. He found that he only needed around three hours sleep a day. After measuring his body temperature and heartbeat he was relieved to see they were both within the normal range. The thing that puzzled him the most, though, was the fact that he didn't have to use the bathroom, 'I guess my body is working more efficiently now.' he thought with a shrug. He still perspired although not as much as before.

He spent a lot of time trying to identify different smells that could be found in Number Four Private Drive. He still didn't go out during the day because he had no idea how he would react near any humans. His eyes at least partially adjusted to strong sources of light although they still burned if he looked directly at the sun or at the light, 'I definitely prefer moonlight and starlight to sunlight and artificial sources of light.' But he noticed that as long as the light was reasonably soft he didn't have any trouble looking at it, 'I liked that fire I burned the sheets in last night. It was mesmerising even though it smelled.'

He only ever left the house at night to go test his physical abilities. He found that he was reasonably stronger and faster than the average adult. But he discovered the most fun thing completely on accident. He found that he could climb even steep surfaces easily and was playing around in the neighborhood when he tripped and fell down two stories. While he was panicking his body reacted on instinct and landed on all fours with a grace he didn't know he possessed. Harry was, of course, ecstatic. He also tried out his healing powers by making a small cut on his arm although, 'Ugh. My blood looks disgusting. All blackish, ugh.' but he needed to apply more pressure than usual, 'Seems my skin is harder to pierce now. Sweet!' The cut healed in thirty minutes and left his arm without a mark. Harry wondered how long it would take for bones to heal but he wasn't about to try that out.

Because he didn't have to eat as much now, he used the remaining money to buy a few delicate pieces of glass to try and control his grip. After a few hours of breaking everything to pieces he managed to tone down his strength to a reasonable level. He also managed to somewhat control his reaction to loud noises but he knew he was going to have to practice it more. He was fine as long as he expected the noise but still became very nervous and twitchy if it surprised him although he didn't lash out anymore. He still felt that strange craving but didn't have an idea what it could be.

His biggest shock came when he visited his magic core.

Flashback

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Harry was experiencing a rare emotion. He was disappointed at himself. In all the excitement of him turning into a vampire (which he was sure he is) he forgot to practice his power. Slipping into a meditative trance he tried to find his magical core. What he found left him speechless. Instead of a basketball sized ball of bright green energy he found a smaller black ball with tendrils of dark green energy encircling it. Touching it with caution his eyes opened in shock, 'This feeling. It's so much more intense than before.' Whereas before the feeling was pleasant it could be considered addictive now, 'Although it's smaller I get the feeling it's more compact, ... Whats the word again? Ah yes... potent. It's like I needed a tendril of power to make a pencil move I need less now to make the same thing happen.' Trying it out he noticed that although his power increased he lost any semblance of control he ever had which was obvious by the book that hit the ceiling.

'I'll have to practice my control.' he thought. Trying to summon a ball of light on his fingertip he could only cry out in pain as the whole room was bathed in light and his eyes started to burn, 'I'm not trying that again anytime soon.' Calming down he reached down to his core and tried to carefully make a book float. While it was floating he decided to try another thing he was thinking about before he was turned. He thought that using his powers in different ways might help him later on. Levitating a pencil along with a book was significantly harder than just levitating a book. It wasn't very power intensive but it was difficult mentally because you had to focus on two things at the same time. It was only more difficult because the pencil had a different shape than the book. Barely managing to keep both of them afloat for ten seconds before either letting them fall or making them shoot up into the ceiling. Wiping his sweat off his brow he resolved to practice this further.

He tried an exercises to improve his power next. He tried to levitate his desk and although he managed to get it floating he had to release it after about two seconds because it was too heavy and exhausted him magically. Although he was tired he managed to smile a bit, 'I barely managed to keep a book floating for more than thirty seconds before and couldn't even move my desk vertically. That's right, I have to practice moving things. It definitely came in handy when that guy attacked me.' he thought, still shivering from the phantom sensation of the guy biting him. Harry was hesitant to start banishing things in his room because he didn't know his limits and could possibly destroy his bedroom, 'I'll practice it at night somewhere else. It shouldn't be too much trouble to sneak out of my room.'

He also found out a very interesting new power. When the mailman delivered a parcel for Mr. Dursley Harry had to sign to confirm that the parcel was delivered. He accidentally looked into the mailman's eyes and heard, 'Leaving such young children at home alone. What is the world coming to? I'd like to give these people a piece of my mind.' in his mind.

Blinking, harry asked, "Excuse me, sir. Did you say something?"

Looking puzzled the mailman answered, "No, I didn't."

"Oh, my mistake then. I though I heard something" answered Harry with an embarrassed smile.

'What a sweet kid.' thought the mailman and said, "No problem. Well I better go now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." said Harry and closed the door. 'OK, that was creepy. I'm sure that he didn't say that thing at the end so the only logical conclusion is that I read his thoughts. But how is that possible. My whole life is impossible. I can teleport, not consciously but I can do it. I can move things with a power that only I have. No to mention the whole vampire thing. I need to get some answers.' but not even Harry's genius mind could come up with an answer. 'Everyone I know or have heard of would either not believe me and would send me to a psychologist or believe me and sell me to the government or some other wealthy organization. Argh!' he thought while sitting on the stairs and holding his head. 'It's all getting too much for me to handle.' He wished he had someone to talk to, 'But I don't have anyone. I can only count on myself. I'm special, different than all others.' He started thinking about what he needs to make his life easier, 'I have to think of a way to get some money, I definitely don't want to wear Dudley's old clothes forever and I need to start some kind of activity to help me with my new grace and excellent sense of balance. I wanted to start training karate or something similar before but I could hurt someone now. Wait, that's it! I'll start dancing. It's perfect. The only problem is that I need money to pay for new clothes and to pay for the dancing lessons. The Dursleys will never pay for it.' With that in mind he went back to his room while leaving the parcel on the kitchen counter.

End flashback

* * *

The Dursleys came back home six days after Harry was bitten.

"Boy!" yelled Vernon as he came through the front door.

Harry went down and asked, "Yes, uncle Vernon?"

"Marge made me see reason, boy." said Vernon, "It's not right that you live here without doing something to repay our generosity. From now on you will help with the chores and if you don't, you will find yourself on the street."

'How dare he?' thought Harry and prepared to give his uncle another lesson but had a better idea, "I'll do something better uncle. If you pay me 50 pounds a month I will do all the yard-work and wash all the dishes in this house. Oh, and buy me some decent clothes, please." he said and prepared to defend himself should Vernon react badly to his demands.

Vernon's face coloured purple as he yelled, "WHAT! Dudley's clothes not good enough for you boy? Just like your parents, living off the generosity of good people like us. Freaks, the lot of you!"

Harry forcefully calmed himself and said in a voice that sent chills down Vernon's spine, "It's not that, _uncle_. Dudley is a lot bigger than I am. What do you think the neighbors think. I look like a street rat. Surely that doesn't reflect well on my _loving _family."

Petunia paled and looked out the window to see if any neighbors were watching, "Maybe he's right Vernon. A freak he may be but the others don't know that. We will be the laughing stock of the neighborhood if he doesn't look presentable. Emily has already asked me why he doesn't have any new clothes."

Vernon quickly composed himself and said, "Perhaps it is reasonable but I won't pay you for doing things that you should do, you hear me boy?"

"Crystal, but what of the rumours?" Harry asked while grinning on the inside.

Petunia looked confused and asked, "Rumours?"

"Why, of course, _dear_ aunt. Mrs. Simons has already asked me a year ago why she never saw Dudley working half as much as me." this was a calculated lie on his part 'Hook, line and sinker. And I didn't even have to read their minds.' he thought, smiling internally, "People might think you're not doing everything you can to _civilize _me."

If possible Petunia paled even more and said, "Think about it Vernon. Maybe you could make a deal with him."

"Quite right, Petunia." said Vernon, "All right, boy. I'll pay you 30 quid a month to tell good things to our neighbors about us. But if you spread any lies in the neighborhood ..." he raised his fist threateningly.

"No problem, uncle. Thirty quid is plenty. I'll keep my end of the deal." he said, 'For now.'

"You better." said Vernon, "Now, did anything happen while we were away?"

'Your nephew was turned into a vampire and found out that he could read minds' he thought but said, "The mailman brought a parcel for you uncle Vernon. It's on the kitchen counter."

"Anything else?" asked Vernon.

Harry shook his head and said, "No, nothing."

"Good." said Vernon and went into the kitchen.

Harry looked at Petunia and Dudley, shrugged and went upstairs.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next couple of weeks passed quickly for Harry. He worked in the yard every morning, tending to the flowers, managing the grass and the couple of trees that lay scattered in the Dursleys' yard. Petunia kept her promise and took him shopping for new clothes. She bought him many T-shirts, a couple of pants, a few shirts and some underwear. She told him, "This is the last time I am going to buy clothes for you. Vernon is paying you now so you'll have to use that money to buy clothes as you need them The shopping center is not too far from Surrey so you should be able to go by foot. Don't trouble us with this from now on."

Harry seethed at her tone but said, "Alright, aunt." He was still happy though. For the first time in his life he had clothes that were his and fit him. He used the money Vernon paid him to join daily dancing lessons at the nearby recreation center. It cost only twenty pounds a month which left him with more than enough money for anything else he wanted, which wasn't much. His dancing instructor said he was a natural. She even suggested that he takes some etiquette lessons with his dancing. Harry was hesitant but once he found out that they cost only an extra 4 pounds he was quickly convinced.

Uncle Vernon left him alone now. He seemed pleased with the arrangement and Harry kept his part of the deal. He told anyone who asked about how he and his uncle made a deal. Vernon's reputation hit an all time high, even getting him promoted at his job at the Grunning's drill factory. He was now an assistant manager which included a big raise in his salary.

Harry also found out a useful side effect to his mind reading abilities. He could tell when a person was lying to him or was trying to trick him. Although that was not the only way he could do that. Their heartbeats increased, they started to sweat and released certain pheromones. Basically, they started to get nervous and Harry could smell the deceit and nervousness. He could smell when a person was angry, nervous, scared and aroused. He got headaches near young couples because they constantly released pheromones but he was getting better at handling sensory overloads. His body finally adapted to his senses and he could control his reaction, for the most part.

There were a couple of things that were giving him trouble. He found that he gets sunburns quickly and had to be covered during the midday sun because sun cream didn't work for some reason. The Dursleys still fed him scraps and leftovers but he didn't mind now that it was more than enough to fully sate him. What he did mind was the craving that was quickly growing in strength. He didn't know what he wanted but he wanted it, badly. It was hard to think straight and his performance suffered. He regularly lost control of his powers during practice, shooting books and pencils all over the place. His magic was fluctuating and he didn't know why. His instinctive urges were also more difficult to keep under control but he managed, for now.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry was working in the yard today but his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, 'Why the hell am I feeling like this? What is wrong with me? It's like I'm hungry but not for food.' He then heard a heartbeat and noticed Emily Wilson, the Dursleys' next door neighbor, sunbathing in her yard. More importantly he noticed the vein pulsing on her neck. He suddenly felt an almost uncontrollable urge to bite and suck. He wanted to attack, to rip her apart, suck her dry of blood and leave her dried husk for the world to see. Already starting to transform he took a couple of steps towards her before catching himself. Barely managing to keep himself from transforming he ran into his room hoping that no-one saw him.

He sat down on the floor and hugged his knees as realization seeped in, 'I wanted to bite, to kill her.' he thought before correcting himself, 'No, I wanted to drink her blood.' He started to laugh manically, 'How could I be so stupid? Vampire 101, they drink blood.' Suddenly he became quiet and started sobbing and shivering, 'Does that mean that I have to kill someone. I don't exactly care for them but I still don't want to kill to live. I don't want to turn them into vampires either. Maybe I don't have to turn or kill them to feed and they won't have any side effects. But how will I keep them from telling everyone about me?'

Harry didn't know what to do, he didn't want to die but neither did he want to kill to survive or be used as a lab rat in some top secret laboratory. 'Maybe if I bite them from behind so they don't see me and keep watching them for the next couple of days. They may turn or not. But what will I do if they do turn? I don't know if I have it in me to kill.' He spent the next few hours thinking about every possibility but it was getting difficult to think because his desire for blood kept getting stronger and stronger. Harry finally decided to go hunting in the night.

Jumping from his window he landed on his feet. He ran around Private Drive in search of an open window. He finally found an open window in Number Nine Private Drive, just across the street from the Dursleys. Scaling the wall with little difficulty he prowled around quietly using his sense of smell and his hearing as guides. He homed onto the loudest and most powerful heartbeat and entered the master bedroom, where the couple slept. With stealth he didn't know he possessed he came next to the husband.

He had shoulder length rich brown hair that was probably kept in a ponytail during the day. Harry couldn't see his features because he was turned away from him. He had a muscled torso and was probably considered handsome. Harry carefully removed the hair from his neck and his eyes immediately went to the pumping vein. Harry subconsciously transformed into his feral form and licked his long fangs in anticipation. Grinning and looking demonic he slowly lowered his head all the while inhaling the man's scent. For Harry every second lasted an eternity and it seemed that time itself stopped as he gently licked the man's vein. He lowered his fangs to the man's vein and gently punctured the skin and licked the small amount of blood that leaked out with his tongue.

Blood. The rich liquid of life. Every creature has it. Blood is one of the most vital components in our bodies. It supplies the whole body with food absorbed from the stomach and with oxygen absorbed from the lungs. Without it we would survive less than a second. People say that blood has a metallic taste and is not good at all. And yet blood has the ability to awaken the killer instincts in a dog. Once a dog tastes blood for the first time he is more similar to a wolf than a domesticated dog. That reaction is nothing compared to a vampire's.

To a vampire blood means life. They cannot survive without it. It has everything they need to survive. It is so important in their daily lives that some sects even worship it as a deity. For a vampire, blood is the most heavenly thing in the world. It's taste is addictive and awakes their most primal instincts. The instincts to feed and kill. Vampires also guard their own blood zealously. Wizards can use it to invoke powerful wards and to concoct magnificent and terrible potions. If willingly given it is a key part in most rituals involving immortality and possesses powerful healing abilities dwarfed only by those of phoenix tears. If forcefully taken it is a ferocious poison capable of bringing even giants to their knees and a key part of many powerful poisons.

As soon as Harry tasted blood for the first time he lost all semblance of sanity. He instantly bit down with all his might and started sucking. Harry was in heaven. Its aroma was addictive and definitely the best thing he has ever smelt. Its taste was heavenly. It was as thick as honey and even better tasting. He never tasted anything like it before. He was gripping the man with both his hands to prevent him from turning and yet the man did not wake. He looked perfectly peaceful as if he didn't have a care in the world. As soon as harry was full he raised his head and licked the blood off his fangs. He then noticed the small trickle of blood running down his victim's neck. Not wanting to loose such an opportunity Harry started licking the wound and the blood around it. The enzymes in his saliva not only prevented the blood from coagulating but also counteracted the poison that coated his fangs. This poison was the reason that people turned into vampires after they've been bitten. It also acted as a painkiller and sleep agent to prevent the victim from waking up if they were asleep and make them unable to fight if they were awake. A vampire's saliva also contains a minor healing agent that closes small wounds such as bite marks and helps the victim replenish his lost blood. As the bite marks closed and slowly started to fade from view Harry slowly regained himself.

Feeling giddy and a little horrified at the same time he quietly left the bedroom and made his way to the open window. Jumping down and quickly running to his own window he entered his room and lay on the bed thinking, 'That was the best feeling ever. I've never felt so good in my life.' he sighed happily, 'I wonder if other people's blood tastes the same or are there different tastes. I also have to control myself when I'm feeding. I lost control today and although he looked alright I might accidentally kill someone if I don't watch out.' Harry then thought seriously, 'I'll have to watch him the next few days if he exhibits any changes but I hope he'll be alright 'cause I don't know what I'd do if he changed.' Feeling tired from all the excitement, of his first hunt and still coming down from his blood high, Harry went to bed.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next few days were the best in Harry's life. He didn't crave for blood although he had no idea how long it would last before he needed to feed again. Not that he minded. He was aching for a chance to taste blood again but decided to only feed when his body needed it. He didn't want to become addicted. His victim made a complete recovery. He felt a little strange the next few days because of blood-loss but thought it was just a small cold.

Harry analyzed everything of that night to make future hunts easier. He decided to always lick the wounds after causing them because to him it was quite obvious that his saliva healed the marks. Harry also knew he was going to have a problem once the weather cooled and people will close all their windows. He needed another way to gain access to his victims.

His dancing lessons finally paid off. He was more self-conscious and had better control of the space around him, 'That's bound to be useful' Harry also noticed that he was lighter on his feet and had a better range of motions. He deemed the etiquette lessons useless but they amused him so he continued to attend. They weren't very useful in modern times but if he ever saw the queen at least he'd know how to behave himself. The only useful thing that came out of them was his precision and grace when it came to smaller movements, that and he was becoming quite the sweet talker, 'This is a class for politicians.' he often thought, chuckling.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry fed again in two weeks when the craving became difficult to handle. It was just a few days after his birthday, which was ignored by the Dursleys. He thought of a way to open doors. He tried to pick the lock on a door or window. The first time he tried it he managed to get it open but left a few marks that could be incriminating so he spent every night perfecting his technique until he finally managed it perfectly in the middle of August. The second time he tasted blood he managed to keep control although it was still a fight every step of the way. He even tried a couple drops of animal blood. It sated him but tasted disgusting. Harry only fed on humans since that day.

He found out that he couldn't feed on Vernon or Dudley. Trying to drink their blood was like trying to drink lard. It left him disgusted but he couldn't help but find humor in the situation, 'They're so fat not even a vampire can drink their blood. Seriously, how fat can you get?' He made sure to drink from a different person each time to find out if blood tasted any different. The difference was there but it was minuscule.

Soon enough school began again and Harry decided to keep being average and to blend into the background. He was a nobody to his schoolmates. He also found an interesting little tidbit about his mind reading powers. He managed to plant compulsions in the subconsciousness of his peers and teachers. He had a lot of fun making his schoolmates cough every-time they cheated. He also managed to cause a person to go into a trance like state where they would do anything he asked. He called this skill Hypnosis.

The progress with his magical powers was very slow though. It took him six months to get his control up to the level it was before he was turned. The most progress he made was that he managed to keep his desk afloat for more than 10 seconds. After reading somewhere about a healthy spirit residing in a healthy body he started working out in his room. Although it wasn't noticeable, his strength and speed did increase a little bit.

The summer after his third school-year was spent on improving his existing abilities. He added summoning things too him on a whim. He managed to keep three items of different shapes fly around him in different directions but hit a block as soon as he added a fourth item. He also got into the habit of juggling small balls of light between his hands. He was lucky the Dursleys never caught him.

Speaking of the Dursleys, they left him alone. The bargain they made last year was keeping both sides happy. Vernon was happy with his new job and used every bit of the money on comforts. He bought a new car every year, bought piles of presents on Dudley's birthday and on Christmas. Dudley was looking more like the pig he is every day and was still the terror of the neighborhood with his little gang. His best friend Piers Polkiss (or rat-face as Harry liked to call him) usually held the victim while Dudley beat him up. They left Harry alone because Dudley still remembered Harry's little presentation when he was seven years old. Petunia was still the queen of gossip but at least she no longer spread lies about Harry because it would reflect badly on her entire family.

The worst week of Harry's life was the week after his birthday when aunt Marge came to visit. Harry knew she couldn't keep her mouth shut so he didn't dare do anything. Her dog, Ripper, hated Harry and always did but this time Harry scared him. Just one show of his feral form had Ripper hiding under the couch. Marge was convinced he poisoned him and was threatening Harry with disembowelment before Petunia stopped her. It wouldn't do for the police to find her nephew dead, right? It was also the first time he found out anything about his parents because Marge asked Petunia. He found out that his parents' names were Lily and James Potter. Petunia said that they died in a car crash they committed because they were drunk but Harry didn't believe her as she smelt of deceit. He didn't have much time to think about it as Marge launched on another family smearing campaign against him. He thought that he was going to kill her many times. His instincts screamed at him to kill her every-time he saw her.

Harry's fourth year at school passed quickly. Harry spent most of it refining his stealth and subtly manipulating children around him. No-one ever noticed that they were behaving strangely. He still spent some time in the library doing homework and reading more advanced literature. His magical abilities didn't improve all that much but at least he didn't have any trouble feeding. He also became good at hiding his emotions after he read a book about psychological masks.

Harry's relationship with his family was still tense but they tolerated each other. The turning point was Dudley's eleventh birthday.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Dursleys decided to take him to the zoo with them. He was enjoying the experience although the animals seemed very nervous around him, 'They must sense that I'm a predator.' he thought.

The best part, in his mind, was definitely the reptile house. He and the Dursleys were walking around and for some reason he started to talk to a lazy looking snake, "_I__ know how it is to be locked up._" he said, not noticing how it came out of his mouth as a series of hisses. "_In a way we're all in a prison. The only difference between us is that most people think of their prison as freedom." _The snake rose up until it was looking into his eyes. Harry tried to read its mind, '_How interesting. A speaker! I never thought they existed._' Looking surprised Harry asked, "_Can you understand me_?" noticing for the first time how it sounded strange to his ears. The snake nodded. Harry was about to speak further when Dudley pushed him out of the way. Harry quickly maneuvered himself to fall on his feet, 'He never should have come so close without me knowing. I guess I was preoccupied by the snake.'

Harry glared at Dudley, his magic reacted with his feelings and made the glass vanish. Dudley lost his balance and fell forward into the tank. The snake quickly slithered out, looked at him, said, "_Thanks, young speaker_." and went outside, spreading panic wherever it went. Harry was tempted to follow it but decided to formulate a plan on how to deal with his relatives.

As Petunia calmed down Dudley, Vernon glared at him. The ride back to Private Drive was quiet. Nobody said anything as they all went back into the house. As soon as Harry went inside Vernon thundered through the door, spit flying out of his mouth, "Boy! I know you did that. We're lucky that the snake didn't bite Dudley."

Harry just said, "It was a boa constrictor, uncle. They don't bite."

Vernon just reddened and said, "That's besides the point. You endangered Dudley! Your freakishness almost killed my son!"

"I guess he shouldn't try to push me around next time. The results could be quite" Harry paused for dramatic effect, "unpleasant."

Vernon, if possible, became even angrier.

"Better watch that temper, uncle. I wouldn't want you to die of a heart attack."

Vernon paled, but said, "Are you threatening me, boy?" trying to look menacing.

Shrugging, Harry said, "Think what you want. I'm going to my room." and went upstairs.

Inside his room he sighed, 'Useles oaf. Maybe it would be better if he had an accident.' Harry sighed again and thought, 'It's going to be a long summer.'

Little did Harry know that at that very moment a flock of owls left a special castle in Scotland. Each of them had a letter tied to their leg that will change the life of a very special child.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This chapter is a little longer then the last.

Harry doesn't think of himself as human anymore. He also accepted the change because there was nothing he could do about it and it made him more special. Harry is a genius and a realist. He hides his abilities because he knows they make him special and that people fear what they don't understand. Harry is remarkably similar to a young Tom Riddle and yet is different by trying to hide his abilities.

The next chapter will introduce a new ability and the OC.

Harry's parseltongue abilities will be explained later in the story.


	3. Diagon Alley

**Diagon Alley**

The next two days were pure torture for Harry. Tensions in the Dursleys' household reached and all time high. Harry was agitated because he couldn't think of a way to permanently take care of the Dursleys. He didn't want to go to an orphanage if they threw him out. People would constantly look after him and that was too much spotlight for him to be comfortable. Sighing, he went to pick up the mail.

Suddenly, he felt something from the pile of letters. It was like he knew something special was there. He quickly looked through the letter pile and found a peculiar letter made of parchment. He touched it and felt a tingle go down his back when he touched the ink. Reading the address he was surprised.

Mr. Harry James Potter

The Smallest bedroom

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

'The hell? I didn't know anyone knew so much about me. Hell, even I didn't know my middle name was James.' Harry thought. Turning the letter around, he was surprised that it was sealed with bright green wax with a crest imprinted on it, 'How medieval. Although the crest is interesting.' It consisted of four animals. A snake, a lion, some kind of bird, 'Probably an eagle or a raven' and of a badger with the word Hogwarts below them, 'What kind of name is Hogwarts?' Harry brought the other letters to the kitchen and was about to open his letter when he sensed someone approaching. Quickly turning around he glared at Dudley who tried to sneak up on him. Dudley paled but yelled, "Dad! Harry's got a letter."

Vernon's head turned around and widened at the sight of the letter. He yelled, "Petunia! It came."

Petunia quickly ran into the room looking paler than ever. "Take it Vernon, if we don't reply they won't come here."

Vernon tried to take it but to Harry he was moving in slow motion and easily evaded his efforts. "Now, now." said Harry, "I wonder what has you this scared." and opened the envelope.

He took out the letter and read it.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been excepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. A member of our staff will come to your home on July 31. He or she will guide you and another student on your first excursion into the magical world.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

"How interesting." said Harry while looking at his relatives with barely restrained fury. "You knew about this and didn't tell me? I thought you'd know better." Harry's tone was icy and sent chills down the Dursleys' backs.

"Knew? Of course I knew. My perfect little sister. A special child, my mother used to call her. I was the only one who saw her for what she really was, a freak. She came from that school doing magic tricks, turning teacups into frogs. Perfect little Lily." Petunia said jealously, "Then she married that Potter and she had you. I knew you would be just as strange, just as abnormal. Then she got herself blown up and we got landed with you." she finished.

"Blown up? I never did believe that car crash story." said Harry, "I always knew you were the jealous type Petunia."

"Jealous? I'm not jealous. Why would I want to be a freak like you?" asked Petunia.

Harry just smiled sinisterly and said, "Oh, I know Petunia. I always know."

Vernon started shouting at Harry, "You're not going! You hear me boy?! We swore that we'd tramp that freakishness out of you."

"It didn't work now. They're sending a member of their staff here on July 31. It's too late for you to destroy my life now." Harry finished while laughing.

Vernon yelled, "Then we'll go away. Somewhere where they won't find us."

"Don't you dare, uncle. You're not destroying my life, my heritage. I always knew I was special and now I have proof!" Harry said with a glint of madness shining in his eyes. "Remember when I was seven? Imagine what I could do to you now." Harry called on his magic and a wind started blowing around him making him look sinister.

The Durleys huddled together. Harry just looked at them disgustedly, "You're not worth it." and went to his room.

'So, my power is called magic. Interesting. From what I understand there is a whole society of magical beings hidden from prying eyes. I wonder if I could find another vampire. I doubt I've even scratched the surface of my abilities.' Harry thought. He then smiled and said, "This is going to be interesting."

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The days up to the visit passed slowly to Harry. The Dursleys ignored him ever since that little show in the kitchen. The only high point was that he hunted once. Hunting was always a calming experience. To give yourself to your instincts is an indescribable feeling. It makes you feel all warm inside, 'Although the blood might have something to do with it.' He never grew tired of blood. The sensation was as intense as always but at least he could keep himself from going feral now.

Just after he ate his lunch he suddenly froze, 'What the hell. Someone just appeared outside the door. I sense something coming off of them in Waves, but what?' The door bell rung and he rushed to the door using everything he ever learned to make a good impression. As soon as he opened the door his eyes saw her. She was an elderly lady. She was wearing a deep emerald robe complete with a pointy hat. Her hair was in a bun and gave the impression of strictness, "Good day. My name's Minerva McGonagall. Is your name Harry Potter by any chance."

"Hello, Professor. Yes I am Harry Potter. Would you like to come in?" Harry said politely.

The witch said, "Thank you." and entered.

As soon as she arrived in the sitting room Petunia paled and went outside.

Harry asked, "Would you like to sit down, perhaps a cup of tee would be in order?" and activated his mind reading abilities.

'Charming boy. I hope he isn't a troublemaker like his father.' she thought, but said, "I'd be delighted. But I'm afraid that I don't have time for a cup of tee. Some other time perhaps."

"Perfectly understandable." said Harry and thought, 'So, you knew my father. Interesting.'

"You must have many questions. I'll answer as much as I can." she said pleasantly, 'I wonder if he is as inquisitive as his mother.'

"Would you perhaps make a demonstration for me. I'm afraid this is a little much for me." Harry said while leaning forward eagerly.

"Of course." was all she said before taking out a short stick and turned the couch into a pig and back. She then waved it in a complicated manner and made the teacup dance across the table.

Harry felt something each time she did a spell. It was like a sixth sense. It felt differently too, 'I think I'm feeling her magic. I could probably recognize the wizard by their magic.' He then said, "What is that stick. I saw you waving it around before doing the spell and I think I saw you muttering something before something happened." He actually heard a whispered phrase, 'Probably Latin.' but thought that it was too dangerous for her to know about his abilities.

"This, Harry, is called a wand. It is made out of wood and has a part of a magical creature inside it. It helps a witch or wizard channel and control their magic."she said.

"Is it possible to do magic without one?" asked Harry with a hungry look.

"It is. In times of great emotional stress magical children often use magic to save themselves or to hurt someone. Powerful wizards can also use some limited magic without their wands but I heard it is very tiring. And, of course, there are branches of magic that do not use wands. Potions, rituals and divination." Her distaste was evident when she mentioned the last.

"You do not like divination? Isn't it very useful?"

"I consider it a very inaccurate subject. Very few people are born with a talent for it. They are called seers." She answered.

Harry thought about the next question and said, "What kind of curriculum does Hogwarts offer?"

She answered, "We offer courses in Potions, Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, Defense against the Dark arts, Magical history and Astronomy. These are the core classes. In their third year students must choose at least two extra classes. They can choose Muggle studies, where you study muggles, Arithmancy, Ancient runes, Laws and Politics, Accounting, Divination and Care of Magical creatures."

She continued, "Potions is the art of taking magical ingredients, prepare and mix them in special ways to reach the wanted result. We have potions that heal boils, antidotes to poisons and many others. Charms is the art of manipulating the behaviour and attributes of things around you without changing their shape. It is a very delicate field. You have charms to change the color and the size of items. Enchanting items is also a part of charms although it is far more difficult. Transfiguration is the art of turning one thing into another. An example of this was the transformation of the couch into a pig. It is one of the more power intensive and difficult branches of magic. In Herbology you will learn how to safely handle magical plants, how to harvest them and what to use them for. In Astronomy you will learn about the constellations and the movements of stars and planets. Magical history is self explaining as is Defense against the Dark arts. You will learn about the extra classes in your second year."

'Very interesting. I could learn a lot.' thought Harry and asked, "How is schooling organized and what about the exams?"

'Smart boy. He is covering everything that is essential.' making harry smirk on the inside. "The school system consists of seven years of schooling. You will board in Hogwarts and will be separated into four houses which will serve as your families for the duration of your stay. There are exams at the end of each year and certain assignments are graded. The most important years are the fifth and seventh, though. In fifth year you will sit through your OWLs. A series of rigorous examinations that will decide which subjects you are eligible to take in your sixth year. In your final year you will sit through your NEWTs. Again it is a series of examinations on the subjects you took in your sixth year. NEWTs are the most important because they decide if you have the requirements for potential jobs."

"You mentioned Magical creatures and muggles. Does that mean that unicorns, giants and vampires exist?" Harry asked. He was very eager about any information about vampires.

"All of them do. If you take care of magical creatures in your third year you will learn about unicorns. Vampires and giants, however, are covered in defense against the dark arts, as they are considered dark creatures. Oh, muggles is the expression magical people use when talking about non-magical people." McGonagall answered. "That is enough questions for now. We need to pick up the other student and buy your supplies."

"One more question, professor. Did you know my parents?" McGonagall's eyes softened and she said, "Yes, I did. They were two of my favourite students. I will tell you8 about them sometime."

"Thank you, professor." said Harry.

They both rose and went to the front door. Once outside McGonagall asked Harry to grip her on the arm, "Hold tightly. Apparating can be a little uncomfortable for beginners." The next second they disappeared with a small pop and Harry had the sensation of being squeezed through a small tube. They reappeared in front of a cozy house.

As soon as they reappeared Harry thought, 'That felt exactly like the times I teleported. It's called apparating!'

McGonagall looked surprised, "Hardly anyone lands on their feet the first time. Most loose their balance."

Harry just shrugged and said, "I've been taking dancing lessons since I was nine."

McGonagall nodded and rang the doorbell. Harry, on the other hand, focused on the magical signature he could feel nearing the door, 'It's bigger than McGonagall's. Has a nice feel to it.'

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audrey Artemis Selton was a very nice young girl. She had deep red hair, a little darker than burgundy, up to her mid-back and naturally red lips. You could already tell she was going to be beautiful. But her most striking feature were her eyes. She had silvery-grey eyes of unbelievable depth. She was nice to most people but she could certainly hold a grudge if she wanted to. She also had a tendency to say and do reckless things. Her mother was the owner of a small but successful modeling agency. There was only one dark spot on her personal history.

She didn't know who her father was. Her mother was very adventurous in her twenty's. She went to a party, got drunk, slept with a guy she didn't even remember and Audrey was the result. She lived alone with her mother. When her letter arrived she was shocked. Sure, she noticed a couple of odd things happening around her when she was angry but she thought they were pure coincidences.

As she opened the door she noticed two people standing there. The first was an old woman in bright green robes and a hat to match! She looked very stern and she wondered what she teaches.

The other was far more interesting. He was leaning against the door-frame looking completely relaxed, bored even. His hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, simple pants and shoes. His hair were a deep emerald green that gave her the feeling of looking into her soul. He was relatively tall for his age, definitely taller than her! He already looked nice and was definitely going to be a looker in a couple of years. Hell, she could even see the outlines of some muscle on his frame.

She welcomed the older woman first, "Welcome, you must be the professor from Hogwarts." She said with a smile. The woman returned her smile and said, "Indeed, I am. And you must be Miss Selton." Audrey nodded and said to Harry, "Hello, I'm Audrey and you are?"

Harry inclined his head and said, "Harry Potter."

She smiled widely at him but he just stared back, looking distinctly bored, and thought, 'She smells of roses and honey. At least she isn't as stuffy as McGonagall.'

She invited them both to the sitting room and called her mom, "Mom! The professor from that magic school is here."

"I'll be right there!" came the reply.

"Could I offer you some refreshments in the mean time." She offered pleasantly.

McGonagall didn't take her offer but Harry did, "Tee, please."

She smiled widely and left the room to get the tee.

McGonagall was sitting quietly and Harry was looking around thinking, 'Looks like she's rich. She definitely doesn't need any money.'

Then a woman, 'Her mother probably' came in. She definitely looked nice. You could see where Audrey got her looks. Harry estimated she was around thirty, maybe a little more.

"Hello." she said, "I'm Audrey's mother."

Audrey came in and gave the tee to Harry who took it with a muttered, "Thanks."

"Hello. I'm professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress and the transfiguration professor. Feel free to ask me any questions you have and I will answer them to the best of my ability." said McGonagall.

After a conversation, that was remarkably similar to the one at the Dursleys' they prepared to leave.

Audrey suddenly said, "You know. You're remarkably quiet."

Harry just raised an eyebrow and answered, "Obviously." with a small smirk.

Aufrey took that the wrong way and said. "Are you saying I'm stupid?"

"You got to that conclusion yourself." answered Harry, amusement shining in his eyes.

Audrey colored at that and said, "Arrogant prat!"

That didn't sit well with Harry, "Spoiled princess!"

"Ass!" countered Audrey, looking pleased. That quickly disappeared after what Harry said.

"Tart!"

"Pig!"

"I'll have you know that I'm very clean, whore!" said Harry.

As they continued to argue and bicker McGonagal looked disapproving and Audrey's mother looked amused.

After they ran out of insults they both glared at each other. McGonagall took them outside and took out a rubber duck, "Touch it, please." They looked confused but obeyed. She said, "The Leaky Cauldron." and they disappeared in a strange sensation.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As they reappeared both Harry and Audrey lost their balance. Harry managed to keep upright but Audrey fell onto him causing both of them to fall to the ground. As Harry lay there, with Audrey on top, he said, "Couldn't keep your hands off me?" with an amused grin.

Audrey blushed bright red and kneed him between the legs. She stood up as Harry moaned on the floor, 'Women are never going to understand how much that hurts.' but said, "You bitch!"

Seeing Audrey about to retort, McGonagall said, "Stop it, both of you." Audrey was about to argue but McGonagall silenced her with a look.

'Scaary!' thought Audrey.

McGonagall helped Harry up who was looking dazed. He and Audrey both asked, "What was that?"

McGonagall replied, "That was a portkey, a magical artifact that is used as a transportation method for larger creatures and the masses. To apparate someone with you is harder than it looks."

They both nodded although Harry looked on edge. Audrey asked, "Why is it a rubber duck?"

McGonagall colored slightly and said, "The headmaster is a little ... eccentric."

Audrey nodded but Harry said, "Only you could do that Selton. You get transported by a powerful magical device and you ask why it looks like a rubber duck." laughing.

She colored and was about to yell at him when the deputy headmistress said, "Enough, both of you."

They both calmed down and looked around. They were standing in an old empty room. "Where are we?" asked Audrey.

"We are in an abandoned room at The Leaky Cauldron. It is a wizarding pub in London. Muggles can't see it. Tom, the owner, allowed the headmaster to use this room as a portkey destination for Hogwarts students."

Harry, however, was thinking about something else, 'There's so much magic in the air. It is difficult to determine how many people are here. It stinks too.'

They left the room and went downstairs.

"Ah, professor McGonagall! New students I presume." said an old man as soon as they left the stairway.

"You are correct Tom."

They went into a small room at the back and McGonagall took out her wand. She tapped a couple of bricks and Harry thought, 'There's a lot of magic condensed in that wall'

The wall opened and both Harry and Audrey were surprised although because of different reasons. Audrey's mouth dropped open but the only indication Harry gave was the slight widening of their eyes. He was surprised at the amount of magic. It was almost overwhelming.

Before them stretched a street, hidden away from muggles. They saw many shops and children looking at the display cases.

McGonagall saw their surprise and said, "Children, welcome to Diagon Alley! Gringotts, the wizarding bank, will be our first stop."

They slowly started to make their way towards a white building at the end of the alley.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as the group came to the foot of the bank Harry asked, "What the hell are those things?" He was, of course, referring to the small creatures, clad in gold and crimson armor besides the huge armored doors. Audrey looked interested too.

"They are goblins, Mr. Potter. they are the bankirs of the wizarding world. They are very smart and proud but not the friendliest. Although they are looking very nervous, for some reason."

Harry looked and saw that one of the goblins was looking at him , 'Is that fear?' thought Harry.

They went towards the door and Harry saw an inscription.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take but do not earn

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

of finding more than treasure there.

Mcgonagall answered their questions, "Goblins take their job very seriously. No one has ever successfully robed Gringotts. They say that there are horrible beasts guarding the vaults. Now, I presume you have some money to exchange." Audrey nodded, happily showing off her full wallet.

Harry turned his head away. He spent the last of his money on new clothes before the letter arrived and didn't have the opportunity to earn more since his relationship with his family worsened. He said, "My relatives didn't give me any."

Audrey looked surprised but McGonagall nodded, "It doesn't surprise me. They are not the most pleasant people." Harry snorted, "You will have to make a withdrawal from your trust vault."

Harry looked surprised, "I have a trust vault?"

McGonagall nodded and said, "You do."

They stepped up to the nearest free goblin and the older witch said, "We have come to exchange muggle money for wizarding money and make a withdrawal from Mr. Potter's trust vault."

The goblin's eyes wandered over the group, resting a little longer on Harry than the others, "Come with me, madam."

The money was quickly exchanged and the goblin said, "Does Mr. Potter have his key."

Harry shook his head and said, "No, is there any way to get it?"

The goblin smiled, showing his teeth, "There is always a way, Mr. Potter. Come with me. I will take you to the Potter's account manager. I'm afraid the others will have to stay here." He pointed at the waiting rooms on the left side of the building. Audrey and McGonagall nodded and left.

He took Harry to a comfortable office that had pictures hanging on the walls. Harry almost gaped, 'The pictures are moving!' but quickly regained his composure.

"Senior manager Ripsaw will be with you shortly." said the goblin, bowed and left the office.

Harry sat on the comfy chair in front of the desk and observed the office, his mind working on overdrive, 'The fear and nervousness could be smelt a mile away. Their heartbeats increased when I was near, meaning that they fear me. How do they know?'

Harry's thinking was interrupted by the arrival of another goblin, "Good day Mr. Potter. I'm Ripsaw. I have been the Potter's account manager for three hundred years."

Harry tried to be as neutral as possible, "Good day."

Ripsaw walked to his desk, took out a number of items and said, "Now, Mr. Potter. Do you have any questions before we retrieve your key?"

"Yes, I do. Why is everyone so nervous today?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

The goblin smiled, showing his teeth and said, "There is no reason for you to hide your true self here, Mr. Potter. Our wards notified us of your vampiric nature as soon as you stepped over them. I'm afraid the others are just nervous because we were unsure of your motives for coming here. You could have done considerable harm before we could have ... restrained you."

Harry noted and said, "I believe we will speak after I retrieve my key."

The goblin nodded and said, "We have to confirm your identity. Please place a drop of blood onto this orb." Ripsaw showed Harry a small black orb and a small knife. Harry sensed some interesting emanations from them and vowed to research them latter.

He cut himself on the finger with the knife and let a drop of blood fall onto the orb. The blood was absorbed into the orb and Ripsaw placed it in the middle of a paper. It then released the blood and it streamed on the paper, forming words.

Harry James Potter, Black court vampire

Son of James Potter and Lily Potter, nee Evans

Scion of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter

Harry looked at the paper and looked back at Ripsaw when he said, "I propose you take the test again when you're fifteen. It might show more inheritances."

"What does Black court vampire mean?" asked Harry.

Ripsaw looked surprised, "I thought you already knew everything. Who took care of you after your turning?"

"I've always looked after myself. My relatives are not very tolerable."

"This is most troubling. And about the one who turned you?"

"I believe he wanted to kill me but I managed to throw him away and apparate away in a burst of accidental magic."

"I see."

"Is there any way to get in touch with others of my kind?"

"I assume you are attending Hogwarts this year."

"I am."

"Then I'm afraid I won't be able to organise a meeting until next summer. Let me give you a warning. You shouldn't believe what you will find in wizarding literature." Harry looked confused, "They tend to write history as they please. It's not very reliable."

Harry's face showed realization, "History is written by the victors."

Ripsaw nodded and took a book from the bookcase on the left side of his desk, "This should give you a more realistic view on our history."

"Why are you so helpful. The professor outside described you as unfriendly."

Ripsaw looked satisfied and said, "There are two reasons. Firstly I am bound by oaths to not do any harm upon a Potter and to only work in their benefit as long as it doesn't oppose the interests of the goblin nation. Secondly, you are a vampire. You might not realize it yet but wizards tend to look down on things they think are different. They constantly belittle and try to control intelligent magical creatures. Vampires, veelas and goblins are much more connected than they may think. We let them think they are superior because it suits our needs just fine but that doesn't mean we couldn't crush them if the time ever called for it." Ripsaw finished with a grin. He gave the book to Harry.

"The Shadows of Magic. There's no author." said Harry.

Ripsaw nodded and said, "There is much more in that book for those who know where to look. As for the author. Whoever wrote that book would have had the favor of the most powerful magical races. Humans, however, would despise him. It shows an impartial view on history. Basically, it shows every piece of dirt on wizarding kinds heroes."

Harry nodded and put the book aside, for now.

"Now." said Ripsaw, "The first thing you must know about your inheritance is that the Potters are a very old family. They rose to power in the middle of the fourteenth century but could trace their origins back to William the Conqueror. Law dictates that a minor cannot have control of their family's holdings. The exception is that he is the last member of said house but he still can't take control until his fifteenth birthday." He took a book from a drawer and put it on the desk.

He said with a grin, "There is, however, a loophole. You cannot control your family's holdings but I can in your name. This book is called a Ledger. It is magically connected to the one in my office. With it, you can follow the changes to your account. It is updated each time a change happens to one of you accounts. The first page is designed for correspondence with your manager. Anything you write on it will show in my Ledger. It disappears after a while. The book cannot be read by anyone that is not of Potter blood and has a number of other defenses.. It instantly self-destructs if anyone manages to bypass its defenses."

Ripsaw remembered something and took two further items from his desk. He took out a pouch and a leather wallet, "Let a couple of drops fall on them to key them to you. They are the best we offer." Harry did as he asked, "In the wallet you will find three credit cards, some cheques and it will automatically fill itself with muggle money if you wish it. The money will be removed from your vault. It also has a small slip of paper. It has exchange rates written on it and updates itself daily. The pouch is the same but fills itself with magical currency instead of muggle."

"What is the magical currency?" asked Harry.

Ripsaw took out three different coins, "The gold one is called a galleon. It is not real gold, of course, but a special goblin mixture. The silver one is, again, not silver and is called a sickle. The bronze one is a knut. There are seventeen sickles to a galleon and twenty nine knuts to a sickle."

Harry nodded and said, "You mentioned wards surrounding Gringotts." Ripsaw nodded, "Are there any wards surrounding Hogwarts and will they inform the professors of my vampiric nature?"

"Hogwarts is surrounded by very powerful wards but you shouldn't have any trouble. The wards are one thousand years old and back then detection wards were very rare. They shouldn't be any trouble. Even if you wished to harm the school and its inhabitants they would leave you be. We are talking about a school. Teenagers are always trying to hurt another because of some petty reason."

Harry nodded and said, "Thank you for your time. I will keep in touch."

Ripsaw said, "May your gold always flow."

Harry didn't know how to reply and simply said, "And yours." picked up the two books and left the office.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audrey was angry. No, angry is not the right word. She was pissed off, 'That arrogant, stupid, irresponsible prat!'

"What the hell is he doing in there. It's been thirty minutes!" She looked at McGonagall who was reading The Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper.

"Calm down Miss Selton." said McGonagall, annoyed at her impatience.

"I'm totally calm." said Audrey.

"It was to be expected for it to take this long. Mr. Potter has to get his family's affairs in order."

At that moment Harry walked in and said, "Miss me?"

This set Audrey off again, "Of all the stupid things to say!" She looked ready to kill.

"Cam down Miss Selton!" said McGonagall and grabbed her by the arm. "We're leaving. We still have to finish your shopping."

"About that." said Harry, "Would it be possible for me to shop alone?"

"I don't think that is a good idea." said the elderly witch.

"It would spare us all some grief. It is obvious that she" he pointed at Audrey who was still steaming, "cannot stand me. I'm perfectly capable of shopping by myself"

"Alright, but you will meet us at The Leaky Cauldron at 5 pm."

He nodded and said, "That will be fine."

They separated but Audrey still had time to give him a poisonous glare.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as they were out of range he looked at his list.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Ink and Parchment

Wand

Trunk

Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

Potion supplies (Hogwarts, 1st year set)

Glass or Crystal Phials

Telescope set

Brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

'I'll get the trunk first. I need something to carry all of these things.'

He wandered around and went inside Magical Trunks and other items.

The clerk instantly noticed him and stepped up to him, "Hello! How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a trunk."

"Hogwarts, I presume."

"You are correct."

"Come with me." They stepped to the back to look at trunks.

"We have many trunks. Hogwarts students usually prefer the classic trunk." he showed a couple of normal trunks, "They are fire-resistant, charmed against theft, have an indestructible lock and that's it."

"What other features do you have?"

The clerk smiled and said, "We also have multiple compartment trunks, trunks with expanded space, more serious security measures, weightless trunks and many more."

"I want a trunk that has five compartments slightly larger on the inside than on the outside. Charmed to be weightless, fireproof. I want it to be password coded can you do that?" The clerk nodded. "I want all the security measures on it too."

"You are talking about an auror trunk. They are very expensive but the best on the market. With the exception of custom-made trunks of course." said the clerk, "I happen to have one here. An auror ordered it but never picked it up. I was planning on returning it to my supplier but you can buy it."

"That would be great. It looks like all other trunks, right?"

"It does."

"How much does it cost?"

"It costs three hundred and fifty galleons."

"I'll take it."

The clerk nodded and summoned an ordinary looking trunk. He explained, "Let a drop of blood fall on the top and say something. The trunk will then only recognize you as its owner. It will also only recognize your voice. When you want to change the password just let another drop of blood fall on it while saying the new password. If you want to change the compartment just say which compartment you wish to open followed by the password. You can also make it shrink. Just say the password and order it to shrink." He handed Harry a small, thin book, "That should answer any questions about its features."

Harry nodded and took out his pouch. He put the specified amount of money on the counter. The clerk nodded, gave Harry his new trunk and left to another costumer. When Harry was certain that nobody was looking he let a drop of his blackish blood fall on the trunk and said, "Magic." He put his two books into the first compartment and left the store after shrinking the trunk.

He entered the first stationary suply store he saw. There was a preety young witch manning the counter, "Hello! Hogwarts?"

Harry just nodded silently and she started speaking, "You will need some ink, some parchment, a quill and a proper servicing kit."

"What kind of quills do you have?" He asked.

"We have dictation quills, quick-quotes quills, quills with an endless supply of ink and normal quills." she said, "You should start with normal quills."

"I'll take three normal quills, some ink and parchment. What do I do if I run out of supplies in the middle of the year and do you have any manuals on quill care?"

"If you run out of supplies just use our owl-delivering service." she answered giving him all the quills, a servicing kit, ink and parchment along with a small booklet, "That booklet should cover everything about quill and parchment care. It also includes some tips on writing with a quill."

Harry nodded and said, "Could you add three blank books too?"

She quickly handed him three books and said, "The books will add pages when you need them. But they won't add them forever. It has limits. Only seven hundred pages can be added. Is that all?" Harry nodded, "That will be fifteen galleons and four sickles then."

He paid and left after putting the supplies in his trunk.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of his shopping was the same. At Flourish and Blotts Harry bought all the required books but a few more caught his eye. He took Hogwarts, A History, Genealogy of the Wizading world by Amos Black (The author was long dead but the book was self-updating, linked with the ministry records) , Pureblood Etiquette by Abraxas Timmer, Wizarding Laws and Customs by Quentin Lawson, The Self-Updating Book of Laws by The Ministry of Magic, Blood Purity: Fact or Fiction? by Samantha Prestor, Potions: Everything You Should Know by Horace Slughorn, Aparrating: How to do it by Selene Bell, The Mind Arts: The Basics by Amanda Prince and Obscure Magics by Abraham Nott. He also bought a prescription to the monthly owl-order magazine and The Daily Prophet.

He bought his potions supply at the apothecary along with the brass scales and the telescope. Madam Malkin's was an interesting experience. He spent at least an hour trying different robes and muggle clothes (They have a muggle branch). The girl who worked there looked positively delighted and was going through clothes faster than Harry ever did. He left Madam Malkin's dressed much better.

He entered Disguises for every opportunity next. Harry bought a plain looking ring that had a glamour and a Notice me not charm on it. It made him look like a brown haired, blue-eyed boy. The clerk said that it wouldn't hold under a weak spell, hell even a punch could shatter the glamour, but it suited Harry's needs just fine.

The only interesting experience was Ollivander's.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry looked at his list again and though, 'The only thing left is a wand. I thought about having a pet but decided against it. Only an owl would be useful and I don't have anyone to write to anyway.'

He entered Ollivander's and his senses were immediately assaulted by the smell of dust. His magical sense was going haywire in the presence of so many magical signatures. Ollivander came, looked at Harry with strange silvery eyes and said, "I've been wondering when I'd see you mister Potter. It seems like yesterday when your mother and father bought their wands. The ten and a quarter inches long wand, swishy, made of willow. Very good for charm work. Your father, on the other hand, preferred a mahogany wand. Eleven inches, pliable. Excellent for transfiguration and a little more powerful."

He looked over Harry, giving him the feeling of looking through him and said, "Come to the back with me, child. You won't find your match here." and disappeared again.

Harry was freaked out by the man but decided to follow him. In the back there was a small room with boxes. Ollivander was there perusing the boxes. He gave the word and a measuring tape started ... well ... measuring him. He then gave Harry a wand, "Yew, twelve inches, quite rigid with Hydra venom for the core." Harry vawed it and some sickly green mass shot out from the tip. Ollivander threw himself out of the way and Harry could only watch as it hit a table and dissolved it. Ollivander took the wand out of Harry's hand saying, "No, definitely not."

It only got worse from there. An oak wand with phoenix ash as a core shot out a bust of dark flames that burned through the door before Ollivander managed to stop them, "That was Fiendfire!" A Mahogany wand with willingly given unicorn blood as the core shot out a crescent of silver light from the tip. It left a big gash on the magically empowered wall. A cherry wand with a Manticore fang as the core shot lightning everywhere.

Although Harry did a lot of damage and Ollivander had to dive out of the way of stray spells Ollivander seemed to be getting happier by the minute. Ollivander then gave Harry a black wand. Harry grabbed it and immediately felt the tingling of his magic on his skin. The feeling was even better than when he used wandless magic. He didn't notice Ollivander watching him curiously and the room shaking from the magical output. He waved it and out came green and silver sparks that quickly morphed into a big serpent that nodded to Harry before disappearing.

When the magical show ended Ollivander said, "You have found your wand Mr. Potter. Ravenwood, twelve and a half inches, swishy. The core is basilisk blood. Excellent for offensive magics and warding. It is a very unusual combination. It has a strong dark affinity. You will be unable to cast more powerful light spells until your bond progresses."

Harry looked confused and asked, "I've never heard of ravenwood and what is a basilisk? Professor McGonagall said that you use phoenix tail feathers, dragon heartstrings and unicorn tail hairs as cores."

Ollivander nodded and said, "Ravenwood is a very rare magical wood. It grows only in places that are heavily saturated by negative feelings. It is an excellent conductor for magic but is the best conductor for dark, offensive magic I have ever seen. As for your core. A basilisk is also called the king of serpents. It is a powerful magical snake capable of living thousands of years. It can grow up to fifty feet in length. Their most known ability is to kill by looking their victim in the eyes. Their venom, although not the strongest, is very dangerous. It has the ability to destroy the soul. There are trace amounts of basilisk poison even in their own bloodstream which is the reason why I carved certain runes that will prevent it from getting snapped. Their skin is resistant to magic, similar to dragonhide. I propose you add a supplementary nature to your wand to help channel light magic. A second core would do."

"How do I do that?" asked Harry.

"Put your wand into a liquid core. Phoenix tears, willingly given unicorn blood, a light witch or wizards blood and so on. Put your wand into it until the wood is soaked. Then simply allow it to dry. It will give your wand a minor light affinity that will help you latter on." answered Ollivander. Harry nodded and Ollivander continued, "As for your other question. Those are the common cores. Most of my wands are like the ones you mentioned. They, however, are for normal human beings and a little weaker than these." Harry froze, "I have known about your vampiric nature as soon as I saw you. These eyes are a rare ability that has always been in my family. It allows me to see magical energies and the true form of anyone that I see. It is both a blessing and a curse because whatever I see with these eyes will remain in my mind forever. It is called Mage sight." he sighed and looked at Harry, "I see your true form and your magical powers are very impressive but you are painful to look at. All that loneliness and distrust. It is making my heart ache."

Harry felt uncomfortable and asked, "You said these wands are more powerful than those. How does one measure the power of a wand. Doesn't it come from the wizard?"

Ollivander nodded and said, "You are correct. The power comes from the wizard. Wands do not posses any magical power of their own. They only channel the magic. But some can channel more magic than others before overloading itself. The stronger the wand is, more magic it can channel in a small time frame." he brightened the next moment and said, "Would you like a wand holster. I can offer dragonhide holsters with anti-summoning and anti-theft charms."

Harry nodded and said, "I'd like to take a wrist holster. Will you tell anyone about me?"

Ollivander went to find the wrist holster and answered, "No. Neither will I give anyone the information about your wand. A wand can tell a lot about a person and their personality if you know where to look. That will be 50 galleons, the repairs are included in the price."

Harry paid and was about to leave when Ollivander's voice stopped him, "A little parting advice. The ministry of magic puts a trace on baby wizards and witches when they are born. They put it on muggleborns in Hogwarts. It is their way of controlling under-age spellcasting. The second way is by sensing large concentrations of magic. I'm afraid that you broke the trace already, probably when you turned, so you can use minor spells without fear of repercussion. They will still find you if you use powerful magics, though. It does not extend to wandless spellcasting as that is pure, unrefined magic."

Harry was about to ask how he knew about his wandless powers but decided against it. This man simply knew things. He thanked Ollivander and left the shop.

Inside, Ollivander said, "I hope you don't turn out like that boy fifty years ago. I hope I didn't make a huge mistake today."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as Harry stepped outside he looked at the time, 'It's almost five. I better get to The Leaky Cauldron.' He managed to get there ten minutes early. He was feeling a little hungry and asked Tom to bring him some soup while he waited. After fifteen minutes he saw Audrey and McGonagall come inside. They were arguing, "It's not my fault that they have such a great selection." said Audrey.

"Miss Selton! You spent TWO HOURS browsing through clothes and jewelry!" returned McGonagall and went to Harry's table. Harry snorted and continued to watch the show.

Audrey went after her, glared at Harry and said, "I like shopping. I find it relaxing."

"That is fine Miss Selton. Just do it on your own time and do not waste mine. I'm a busy women."

Audrey just nodded and sat on a chair.

Harry called Tom and they all ordered something. McGonagall asked Harry, "Did you get everything, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Are both of you ready to leave?" she asked.

"Yes." they both answered.

She took out the rubber duck again and they all disappeared. This time Harry managed to keep his balance and moved out of the way in case Audrey fell again. She fell on McGonagall this time, though.

Harry laughed as they picked themselves back up. He then said goodbye to Audrey and disapparated with McGonagall.

They reappeared at the Dursleys. Harry thanked her and went to his room, barely looking at his relatives. He sat on his bed, the excitement of the day starting to disappear, and thought, 'I think I will allow myself a treat and go feed tonight.'


	4. The Train Ride

**The Train Ride**

Professor McGonagall tiredly stepped out of the fireplace in her quarters at Hogwarts. She immediately went to the Headmaster's office to report. She stopped at the gargoyle and said, "Cockroach cluster". The Gargoyle jumped aside and she stopped at the door to the office. Before she knocked she heard an old voice say, "Come in, Minerva." She entered and took in the office.

There were numerous devices scattered around the room. A bookcase stood behind a golden perch that housed a beautiful bird, a phoenix. She also noted the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses lining the wall behind the only desk in the room. Behind this desk sat an old wizard. But this was not just any wizard. This was Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts, defeater of the dark lord Grindelwald and one of the most powerful wizards in the world. In front of the desk sat Severus Snape, potion master of Hogwarts, former death eater and current head of Slytherin house.

"Minerva, how nice of you to come and visit." said Dumbledore.

"I've come to report on the two students I have had to take to Diagon Alley." she answered.

"Ah, yes. What of them?"

"A girl and a boy. The girl's name is Audrey Artemis Selton. She is a shopaholic but otherwise nice except to one person. The boy's name is Harry James Potter." Snape sat straighter as he heard the name, "I don't know much about him. He seemed pleasant and his relatives are as unpleasant as always. We separated after we left Gringotts because Miss Selton and Mr. Potter can't stand each other. It reminds me oddly of Lily and James, actually. I just hope they stay away from each other during their time at Hogwarts otherwise, I fear, they will spend most of their time in detention."

"Surely you are joking, Minerva!" said Dumbledore, "I'm certain it wasn't that bad."

"Albus, they started yelling at each other as soon as they started a conversation. She even kicked him between the legs."

"The brat probably deserved it!" said Snape for the first time, "He is surely just like his father. Thinking rules are above him and he is better than us mortals."

"Severus! The child was very polite and did nothing to warrant such dislike. Get to know him before you judge him!" said Minerva.

Albus spoke, "I'm sure that we will be able to find a way to keep them under control." he looked at Snape, "He is not James, Severus. He is a boy, just like any other. And do not forget that he is Lily's child too."

Snape slouched in his seat and sighed at the memory of Lily, "I'm certain he will look just like James."

"He has Lily's eyes, Severus." said McGonagall.

"Even worse! Every time I look at him I will be reminded of my failure." said Severus with a pained expression on his face.

"Well, I guess that is that." said Albus and clapped his hands, "Go to bed, Minerva. You look tired. I will tell the house elves to make you a cup of herbal tea and leave it in your rooms. Oh! I almost forgot. Would you like a lemon drop?" he finished joyously.

"No, thank you." they both answered and left.

"Goodnight, Albus." said Minerva but Albus just nodded happily.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next few weeks were very informative to Harry. The Durleys went back to ignoring him which gave him the time to read his new books. He came to two conclusions:

1. The Wizarding World was very medieval when it came to culture

2. Prejudice ran high

The etiquette book he bough was useless. He knew it all from his etiquette class. The most interesting books were The Shadows of Magic, Potions: Everything You Should Know, The Mind Arts: The Basics, Apparating: How to do it, Obscure Magics and Wizarding Laws and Customs.

He compared The Shadows of Magic to A History of Magic and Hogwarts, A History. The differences were enormous, 'The noble Godric Griffindor liked to cheat on his wife, did he?' and he could see why goblins though wizards to be arrogant. Most of those goblin rebellions were just retaliations to crimes committed to wizards, 'Sawtooth the Cruel only attacked because wizards stole his prized sword.' Of course, some of the rebellions were because the goblins became bored and they went to battle to remind the wizards that they were still there. He also seethed when wizards wrote things about vampires, 'Animals, are we? Bloodsucking animals with no control over their actions!' He was certain that he wasn't an animal. He had full control over his actions.

His Mind arts book was very informative. It didn't describe any techniques to occlude your mind or to look into the mind of other but it described several different theories on how an experienced Legilimence could manipulate his enemies. It also described a theory on how to manipulate the mind of your enemies through illusions. It finally gave him names to his abilities.

He also read his two potion books. He couldn't believe the course book. It said absolutely nothing about how to correctly prepare different ingredient, why certain ingredients reacted in certain ways and why you have to stir the potion in certain ways. It also didn't explain what certain colors are, 'Seriously, canary yellow, bubblegum pink, obsidian black, there are so many different shades of color.' Other than that he thought potions would be one of his more useful classes.

His trunk went over a huge makeover. He decided to use his first commitment for important things, the second compartment as a library, the third compartment for his clothes, the fourth compartment for his cauldron and potion supplies and his fifth for all his other school things. He also changed the password to, "_Open._" He decided to use parseltongue because he read that it was a rare ability and he liked it.

He tried casting spells with his wand and found it to be surprisingly easy and refreshing. He went through most of the first-year curriculum and some other useful spells before the month was over but skipped most of the theory. He still practiced him wandless magic, though. He thought it would be a nice trick to have in a pinch.

His biggest achievement, though, was that he was finally able to apparate. With this new ability and his charmed ring he went to Diagon Alley a few more times to pick up some books like 1001 Ways to Curse Your Enemies by Filius Flitwick, Battle Transfiguration by Antonin Dolohov and Warding: Cursebreakin Guide by an unknown author, 'If my wand has an affinity for warding I better learn all I can about it.'

He also visited Knockturn Alley once he found out that he could get some darker literature there. He bought Most Potente Potions, Mind Magics for The Advanced and Simple Curses of a Darker Nature. He decided to visit Gringotts while he was at it. Ripsaw was as friendly as usual. He helped Harry understand some things about laws and showed him some loopholes that he could use for his benefit.

Before he knew it September 1. arrived.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The morning was bright and sunny, a rarity in England. The sun's rays woke an eleven year old vampire from his short nap. Harry woke and immediately stretched, similar to a cat, a habit he picked up during the last year. He looked at the calendar and smiled, 'I finally get to leave this hellhole.'

He immediately went downstairs with his trunk safely in his pocket, 'Good thing I packed yesterday.' Seeing his uncle sitting at the table Harry spoke, "I will be leaving today uncle. The train leaves at 11 am."

Vernon glared at him, "I hope you don't expect me to drive you to King's cross, do you?"

"I've already taken care of the transportation, Vernon."

"Good. Don't bother coming back during the holidays. If I ever see you again it will be too soon."

"I'm in total agreement with you, uncle. I believe you won't even have to see me next summer. A friend of mine will get me in touch with someone like me and I will spend the summer with him." Harry was, of course, speaking of Ripsaw. In their last meeting he informed Harry that he managed to get in touch with one of the more powerful and older vampires and will be able to arrange a meeting. He also told him that Harry will have to stay with him for the duration of the summer. Vernon thought that he meant a wizard because he didn't know of Harry's vampirism.

Vernon looked disbelieving at the mention of a friend but said, "Then go and don't bother me about it."

Harry nodded and quickly ate his breakfast. He went outside and apparated to The Leaky Cauldron. He reappeared inside the back so it would seem he just returned from Diagon Alley.

"Hello, Mr. Potter." said Tom as soon as he saw Harry.

"Hello, Tom." answered Harry.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. I have to be at King's cross train station at 11 am."

"That's right! Today's September 1. I almost forgot."

"You wouldn't happen to know the fastest way to King's cross, would you?"

"The fastest would be by apparating or flooing but my floo got destroyed when a fight broke out yesterday. I still haven't managed to fix it. I propose you take one of those muggle contraptions. What were they called again? Sars or something like that."

"You must mean cars."

"Yes! I think you only need ten minutes from Charring Cross Road."

"Thank you, Tom." said Harry.

Tom nodded and said, "Anytime, Mr. Potter."

Harry went outside and called for a cab. The driver was an old man that just couldn't seem to shut up. That and the fact that the car smelled like someone threw up in it just a few days ago left Harry feeling on edge. As soon as they arrived at King's cross Harry paid the driver and rushed out. He looked at his ticket for the first time and his eyebrow twitched, 'Nine and three-quarters. Nine and three-quarters?! Are these people barmy???'

He tried to calm himself And think, 'I can't ask someone here to tell me where platform nine and three-quarters is. They would call a hospital. It's probably hidden through magical means, similar to Diagon Alley. I'll try to sense it.'

He closed his eyes and tried to sense anything that was out of place. He sensed a couple of scattered wizard and witches, 'That's not it. No. No. Wait, what was that?' It seemed as if a wall gave off a magical signature. Harry quickly went to the wall. He looked at it and noticed that it was between platforms nine and ten, 'At least that's logical.'

He tried to touch the wall for any indication of magic and was surprised when his hand went right through it, 'What the hell?' He tried it again with the same results, 'I seriously hope this is protected against muggles in some way. I'd hate to be the one to explain to the muggle why he fell through the wall.' he thought, chuckling.

He quickly stepped through the barrier and instantly saw the black and red steam train, 'Steam? How backwards are these people?' He boarded the train after showing his ticket to the conductor. He was a little early, it was half past ten, so most of the train was still empty. He quickly chose a compartment at the end and comfortably sat himself on the bench, closing his eyes for a short nap.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audrey Selton was running late. It was almost eleven and she still hasn't found the platform. The conductor just looked at her like she was crazy and asked her if she hit her head. She then almost killed herself when she lost control of her trolley and hit the wall. She almost gave up hope when she heard, "Every year it is the same thing. Always packed with muggles."

She looked to her left and saw a family of redheads walking towards platform nine. She stepped up to them and said, "Excuse me, ma'am. Did you, by any chance, say muggles?"

The redheaded woman turned around, looked at her and said, "Yes, I did, dear. Having trouble finding the platform?"

Audrey nodded, relieved. The redheaded woman continued, "My name's Molly Weasley and don't worry it's Ron's first year at Hogwarts too." She pointed at the small redheaded boy who smiled at her.

"Now, you have to go through the wall between platforms nine and ten. It's better you run at it if you're nervous."

Audrey nodded and ran towards the wall, 'I must be crazy!' only to be surprised when she passed through it as if it wasn't there. The redheaded family came right after her and she said, "Thank you Mrs. Weasley."

"It was no trouble, dear."

Audrey went to board the train when she heard someone yell, "Look! It's Neville Longbottom!"

People started talking, "The Boy Who Lived!", "Our saviour!", "Please, shake my hand!"

She looked and at the center of the attention was a chubby boy. He looked very confident and smug. The only special thing about him was his lightning shaped scar on his forehead. People were staring at him in wonder and adoration. Behind him was a smug old lady wearing a disastrous vulture hat, 'Probably a relative.'

She went inside the train and tried to find an empty compartment. Because she was late most of the compartments were filled. She asked a prefect where she could find an empty compartment and he told her that only the ones in the back were empty. She went to the back and saw that one had a black shape laying on the comfy looking bench. She went inside and said, "Do you mind if I sit here?" The shape stirred.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry was sleeping comfortably. He didn't get much sleep last night because he spent most of it packing his trunk. He was rudely woken when the so called 'Boy Who Lived' arrived. He still lay there trying to keep himself calm when he sensed a presence and he thought, 'Oh, god. It's her. Please let her pass.' He was disappointed when someone opened the door and said, "Do you mind if I sit here?" Knowing that he couldn't escape her, he said, "Out of all the students attending Hogwarts it had to be you that walked into this compartment." Her eyes widened before settling into a glare and said, "What are you doing here, Potter?"

He chuckled and said, "I thought that was obvious. I was resting until you rudely woke me."

She continued to glare, "You couldn't just drop dead, could you." she asked rhetorically.

"Nope, too much work." he answered nonchalantly.

She sat down and said, "Lazy bastard."

He raised his eyebrows and answered, "You could spare us both some trouble and leave, you know."

"If anyone is leaving. It will be you."

"I was here first, though."

"And I'll be here last."

He simply shrugged and said, "Suit yourself." He took out his trunk and opened it. Audrey saw that he said something but didn't hear it so she put it out of her mind. Harry took out a book and closed the trunk. She looked at the cover and saw that he took out 1001 Ways to Curse Your Enemies by Filius Flitwick.

"What do you need that for?" she asked.

"To curse you if you don't shut up." he answered.

Audrey colored and said, "Arrogant bastard."

"My parents were married when I was born. Unlike yours." said Harry.

"At least I have a parent!" As soon as Audrey said that she knew it was the wrong thing to say. Harry put on an expressionless mask and put his book inside his trunk.

Audrey said, "Harry, I ..."

"Save it for someone who cares." and started going out of the compartment.

"I'm sorry." said Audrey but Harry just left without a word. Audrey felt terrible and ranted at herself, 'Stupid, stupid. His parents are obviously a sore spot. From what I could tell his relatives aren't very pleasant people. They probably hate him. That expressionless mask was scary. It would be easier if he were angry.'

As she thought that the compartment door opened and someone said, "Hi! I'm Hermione Granger. Do you mind if I sit here?"

Audrey answered, "Not at all. Come in."

Hermione said, "Thanks. I find this all very interesting. I'm muggleborn, you see."

As the conversation progressed Audrey forgot all about Harry for the moment.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as Harry left the compartment he thought, 'I really can't have that reaction someone mentions my parents. It is a weakness I can't show.' He started going up the train to find an empty compartment. He found one with a boy and a girl sitting inside it. The girl had long black hair up to her mid-back and a heart shaped face with blue eyes. The boy looked Italian, having dark brown hair and dark eyes. His skin was a darker color than the girl's who was pale. He entered it and said, "Do you mind if I sit here?" They both said that they didn't mind and he sat down. Taking out his book he started to read again.

The girl started a conversation, "That is an interesting book you're reading."

Harry looked at her and said, "It is quite interesting. Could be useful."

She extended her hand and said, "My name's Daphne Greengrass."

Remembering that the Greengrasses were an old pureblood family he kissed her hand in greeting and said, "A pleasure. I'm Harry Potter."

The girl, now identified as Daphne, looked surprised at his knowledge of etiquette but smiled and introduced the other boy, "His name is Blaise Zabini."

Harry said, "I recognize both of your names as old pureblood names. May I ask why you are not sitting with other purebloods up front?"

"Our families are traditionally neutral. We didn't take a side during the last war. Some powerful pureblood families supported the dark lord and no-one dares to go against them. Because of our neutrality they despise us." Blaise explained.

"I see. That must be awfully tiring."

They both nodded and Daphne asked, "What of you? I know the Potters have a long history but I have not seen you at any celebrations that most families attend."

"I'm afraid my parents died before the fall of the dark lord. My closest relatives were my aunt and uncle through my mother's side. They are muggles, you see, and were not very tolerable of my presence. Thankfully I was able to keep them in line." answered Harry.

They looked surprised that I was a half-blood and muggle-raised, "That must have been dreadful!" said Daphne, "I heard that very few muggles tolerate magic."

Harry nodded and said, "You heard correctly then."

Blaise asked, "Which house will you probably be in? I'm fairly certain that Daphne and I will go into Slytherin."

"I'm not certain. I'm leaning towards slytherin but the Potters have been in Griffindor for more than 4 generations." said Harry.

Daphne said, "You are surprisingly skilled in pureblood etiquette. Have you, by any chance, had a tutor?"

Harry nodded and answered, "I have. I thought it could be useful. I see I was right."

They kept talking for most of the ride. Harry learned that Daphne and Blaise were friends since childhood and their families have drawn up a marriage contract between them. This suited them just fine. Blaise's family were situated in Italy so that explained his looks. Daphne, though, was originally from England but moved to Italy this last year. Both of their families were very influential in certain circles.

Harry, on the other hand, was not so talkative. He gave them the basics of his childhood but 'neglected' to mention his wandless magic and his vampiric nature. He was certain that they would be awed by his abilities and the fact that he was a vampire would have them jumping out the window but Harry already decided that he will keep under the radar, at least this year. He wanted to find out more about his abilities before he made a final decision. He also didn't mention his parseltongue abilities because it was so rare and was considered a dark ability. Harry was a true Slytherin, manipulating the situation to find out everything while telling them nothing of worth.

Soon the trolley lady came by, "Would you children like anything to eat?" They took a little of everything. Harry especially enjoyed Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans after he found one with blood as its flavour. His enthusiasm quickly disappeared once he ate a black pepper flavoured one. He also tried a chocolate frog, barely managing to catch it before it went out the window. After he ate the frog he looked at the card.

Inside the picture was a man with half-moon glasses and a ridiculously long beard. He looked ancient. He had blue eyes that seemed to stare right through you, even in a picture, and wore ridiculously colored robes. Harry's first thought was that he was barmy. He looked at the name and said, "So this is the famous Albus Dumbledore." Below the picture was a description.

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark lord Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, his work on alchemy with his partner Nicholas Flamel. Albus Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Harry thought, 'I wonder if any of the twelve uses is food. Heh, only a wizard can go from defeating a dark lord to enjoying chamber music in the same paragraph.'

Harry was interrupted from his musing by a voice saying, "Please be ready to leave the train. We will arrive at Hogsmead train station in five minutes." He, Daphne and Blaise all looked at each other and Harry said, "We'd better change." As soon as they changed (Daphne threw them out of the compartment when she changed) they left the train and stepped onto the station.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audrey and Hermione were interrupted by the door opening. Two boys came in and the pudgy one said, "I choose this compartment."

They both sat down much to the annoyance of Audrey, "Who are you?"

The pudgy one looked surprised and said, "I'm Neville Longbottom, the Boy Who Lived. This here's Ron." pointing at the redhead.

Hermione squealed, "You're Neville Longbottom? I've read all about you in Famous Witches and Wizards, Wizarding Events of the 20th Century and Dark Lords and Their Foes."

Audrey looked confused and asked, "Who are you again?"

Everyone looked at her, "Don't you know?" asked Ron, "He vanquished You Know Who!".

"No, I don't know who."

Hermione started to explain, "About twenty years ago an evil wizard started terrorizing the muggle and magical world. People were afraid of his name so they started calling him You Know Who or He Who Must Not Be Named. He was killing everyone until he visited the Longbottoms on Halloween 1981. He killed both Frank and Alice Longbottom and turned his wand on Neville here. He cast the killing curse but, somehow, Neville managed to destroy him instead. That's why he's a hero."

"What was his name?" asked Audrey.

"I told you that no-one speaks his name." answered Hermione.

"I wanna know!"

"OK, it was V-V-Vol-Voldemort." everyone except Audrey shivered and Ron and Neville looked scared but it soon passed.

Audrey looked at Neville in awe. He, though, was getting more and more pompous as Hermione explained. Everyone looked at him and worshipped the ground he walked on. They talked about Hogwarts as the trolley lady came by. They bought some sweets and talked. They were brought out of their conversation by Audrey's owl. Everyone looked at the beautiful snowy owl and Ron said, "Blimey! It had to be expensive."

Audrey shrugged and said, "Not really. The clerk seemed happy to get rid of her. He said that she bit everyone that wanted to take her. She didn't bite me, though, so I took her. I named her Hedwig." Everyone nodded.

Hermione then got an idea and asked, "Which house do you want to be in? I wanna be in Griffindor. Although I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad."

"I'm gonna be in Griffindor for sure!" said Neville, "All heroes come from Griffindor."

Ron said, "All my family's been in Griffindor for ages."

"I'll be in Griffindor! I wanna go there." yelled Audrey.

Ron then said, "Imagine if you're a Slytherin." he shivered. Neville put on a disgusted face.

Audrey asked, "What's so bad about Slytherin."

Neville answered, "Every witch or wizard that's gone bad came from Slytherin. You Know Who was in Slytherin."

Audrey nodded in understanding and the conversation continued. Soon, a voice said, "Please be ready to leave the train. We will arrive at Hogsmead train station in five minutes." They quickly changed their clothes and went outside on the platform.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This chapter is shorter than the last two but the next one is going to be longer. I've mostly focused on character development in this chapter. I've also tried to emphasize that Harry, although very smart and mature, is still a child. A child that misses the parents he never knew and is intrigued by the strange new world he found himself in.

I didn't introduce Hedwig in the story before because Harry didn't see her when McGonagall brought Audrey to The Leaky Cauldron after her shopping spree. McGonagall shrunk her along with Audrey's other things and unshrunk them in her home, where Harry waited outside.

Neville will be pompous and an ass. He will not be evil but will have a jealous streak.

Harry will be dark but not evil. If you get the feeling that he is evil, know that he will change drastically in the summer after his first year but I'm not telling you anything else.


	5. The Sorting

**The Sorting**

As soon as all the students left the train they saw a huge figure screaming out, "Firs' years! Firs' years!" Harry and his group went to the large man, wondering what was going on. As they arrived Harry saw Audrey, Neville, Ron and Hermione walking near them. Harry saw Audrey look at him but ignored her, still a little hurt from her harsh words, 'You did it first, you know.' said a small voice in his head but Harry ignored it.

Audrey looked at Harry guiltily but was angered when he ignored her. They stepped to the large man who said, "Everyon' here? Good. My name's Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the keeper of keys at 'Ogwarts. Follo' me." He led them to some boats and said, "No more tha' four per boat."

Harry, Daphne and Blaise went inside a boat together with a boy whose name was Terry Boot. Hagrid then said, "Alrigh'. Forward!" and the boats started to move. Harry heard a blond boy say something, "They let the oaf take us across the lake? In these rickety boats?" Harry immediately labeled him as a spoiled little prince. He preferred to look at the lake as it reflected the moonlight and starlight from its surface. He asked Daphne, "How do we get sorted?"

She shrugged, "It's a secret but my uncle told me that we have to answer some riddles and questions. Some say, however, that we have to wrestle each of the four mascots. When you lose against one it tells you what house you have to go to."

Blaise said, "I heard it's very painful. Maybe they torture you and if you plead with your captor and bribe him, you go into slytherin. Ravenclaws try to escape. Griffindors just continue to get tortured until the end of the test and Hufflepuffs try to convince the guards to let them go and that they forgive them. That's what my dad said but I think he was joking." He didn't look convinced.

"I don't think they'll torture us. It would be too cruel and would keep people away." said Harry. This calmed Blaise down and he nodded at Harry, saying, "It was just my dad trying to scare me. He likes to do that sometimes. I don't know why but he has this idea that if he scares me when I'm young I'm going to be more confident when I'm grown up. He means well but he is a little ... eccentric." Daphne giggled at that.

A girl screamed and pointed at a thing waving at them. Hagrid said, "That' just the gian' squid. Nothin' to be 'fraid of." He led the boats around some cliffs and they could see Hogwarts in all its glory. The castle looked mesmerising and mysterious in the night. Everyone quited. The blond ponce stopped speaking and even Harry's jaw opened in amazement. They stopped at some stone steps that went to some doors. At the top of the stairs was Professor McGonagall, waiting for them.

Hagrid stepped up to her and said, "Here'r' the firs' years. Professo' McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid" she answered. She then said to the students, "Come inside. Follow me." She led them to the top of the stairs where she said, "You will now be sorted into houses. While you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. Good behaviour will earn you points and they will be taken away for bad behaviour. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup. The houses are Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. All houses have produced outstanding witches and wizards. Stay here while we prepare for the sorting ceremony. I will come and get you when we are ready. I suggest that you freshen up." she finished, looking at Ron Weasley, who colored slightly. She then immediately turned on her heels and went back inside the Great hall.

Everything was silent for a moment before the blond ponce said, "Well, Longbottom. Finally showed your stupid face. Or is it your fat arse?"

The pudgy boy colored and answered, "Shut it, Malfoy. Killed any muggles recently, you death eater?"

Most of the children gasped, both in wonder and fear. Malfoy colored and said, "Manners, scarhead. We wouldn't want to inform your grandmother of your atrocious manners, now would we?"

This time Ron Weasley answered, "You'll be too busy buying your way out of Azkaban, Malfoy."

Malfoy looked at him, sneered and said, "I don't even have to ask who you are. Red hair, old, dirty clothes. You must be a Weasley. Father always did say you bred like rabbits. Which are you? The twelfth?"

Weasley colored and returned, "At least my dad didn't have to bribe his way out of Azkaban."

Malfoy said, "My father is a very respected member of society, Weasel. He made very large donations to multiple charities. You see, we have enough money to make the world a better place. Not like you, who can't rub two knuts together."

Weasley looked ready to attack but was interrupted by a scream. Ghosts started streaming into the room, talking with each other, "We could give him another chance." said an obese man.

Another ghost answered, "My dear, Friar. Haven't we given Peeves enough chances already?"

They caught sight of the first years and the Fat Friar said, "Oh! First years. I hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house."

He was interrupted by the arrival of McGonagall who said, "We are ready for you. Form a line and follow me."

She led them through the large doors and Harry's eyes were immediately assaulted by the bright light. He looked around and saw that there were four tables in the hall. Four were obviously house table and the last on was at the end of the hall. This was the head table, where the professors ate. He looked up and saw that it was iluminated by several hundreds of candles floating in the air. The ceiling, though, was what took his attention. It was charmed to look like the sky outside, which looked beautiful. He heard the bushy-haired witch behind him say, "It's charmed to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." Harry immediately thought, 'Teacher's pet.'

They stopped at the end of the hall. Harry saw that there was a stool with an old hat on it. He felt something powerful off the hat so he tried to analyze it from afar. Suddenly the hat's brim opened and it started to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me out and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong to Griffindor,

Where dwell the strong at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Griffindor apart;

You might belong to Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid if toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

to achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Everyone in the hall clapped politely and the first years looked at the hat in awe. Ron Weasley said, "Thank Merlin, we don't have to fight a troll."

Mcgonagall looked at them and said, "When I call your name, you will put on the sorting hat and it will sort you into your house." She opened a roll of parchment and yelled,

"Abbot, Hannah"

A blond girl with pigtails went to the hat and tried it on. There was a moment of pause then ,"Hufflepuff!" yelled the hat. A table started clapping.

"Bones, Susan"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Boot, Terry"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Brown, Lavender"

"Griffindor!"

"Bulstrode, Milicent"

"Slytherin!"

"Crabe, Vincent"

"Slytherin!"

"Davis, Tracy"

"Slytherin!"

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Finnigan, Seamus"

"Griffindor!"

"Goyle, Gregory"

"Slytherin!"

"Granger, Hermione Jane"

"Griffindor!"

"Greengrass, Daphne"

"Slytherin!"

"Longbottom, Neville" Everyone looked at him as he confidently walked to the sorting hat. Whispers could be heard all over the hall, "The Boy Who Lived?" "Do you see his scar?" "He probably knows everything already." "He's so dreamy." Even the professors leaned forward eagerly, except Severus Snape. He decided, at that moment, that Longbottom was an arrogant little monster. The moment Longbottom put on the hat the whole hall went silent.

Harry was severely tempted to look into his mind during the sorting but decided against it because he didn't know what abilities the hat had. He did, however, observe his body language. Longbottom seemed to be getting more and more nervous as the sorting continued. Harry smirked, 'It seems the Boy Wonder isn't as golden as everyone thinks he is.' After about five minutes the hat finally said, "Griffindor." although it didn't sound as sure. Longbottom took off the hat, looking relieved and went to join the cheering Griffindor table. A couple of redheads were even chanting, "We've got Longbottom!" The sorting continued.

"MacDougal, Morag"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Malfoy, Draco"

"Slytherin!"

"Moon, Lisa"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Nott, Theodore"

"Slytherin!"

"Parkinson, Pansy"

"Slytherin"

"Patil, Padma"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Patil, Parvati"

"Griffindor!"

"Perks, Sally-Anne"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Potter, Harry James" Harry stepped forward. He went to the hat and put it on, 'Well, what do we have here? Please lower your occlumency barriers.' Harry heard in his mind, 'It would be quite easy for me to tear them down but it would be highly unpleasant for you. They're extraordinary good for your age but still amateurish to someone who has worked with the mind for almost one thousand years.' said the Hat.

'Is it all confidential?' asked Harry.

'Of course. No one will ever know.' answered the Hat.

Harry dropped his barriers and felt the Hat looking through his memories, some of them flashing in his mind. While doing that the Hat described the weaknesses in his occlumency barriers, 'They were strong but had a lot of weak-points. You also focused to much on keeping the attacker out of your mind and not deceiving and manipulating them. I saw you used a spherical barrier. It is good in theory but far too difficult in practice. No-one can constantly focus on keeping his mind inside an imaginary sphere because even the deepest recesses of your mind know that it is not real. That is why you must choose a place you are comfortable in, so you subconscious knows it well enough to keep it up without constant effort. The result of your attempt was the illusion that your mind was fully protected but in reality there were a lot of holes inside your barrier. You also organized your mind horribly. File cabinets, bah. Even a novice legilimens could find information within your mind. But doing it without destroying your mind is most difficult. You didn't even think of the spider pattern that usually shows itself in any mind, did you?'

Harry was speechless and asked weakly, 'Spider pattern?'

The hat answered, 'You organised your memories by emotion and importance. You forgot, however, to consider the association your subconsciousness makes with each memory until they don't their mind. Each time you think of a memory a thousand other memories will come into your mind because they are similar or related to the one you are thinking of. Basically, every-time I look through one of your memories a thousand other cabinets open and the result is a big mess. Trying to fix it while looking at your memories is very difficult. That is why this is taking so much time. I suggest you read the whole theory next time. Read Mind Games and The Mind. I hear the muggles developed a branch of science that deals with the mind. Perhaps you should delve into that, although I doubt anyone will ever understand the mind. Ah, I have finally found the most important memories.'

The hat continued to riffle through Harry's memories, 'AH! A vampire! And a Black court too! I've sorted several Silver court vampires in the past, but never a Black court vampire. Should be interesting. A piece of advice, keep a low profile. There's talent, oh yes. Wandless magic and a natural aptitude for mind magic. Makes me shiver just thinking about it. A good mind too but you like to skip the theory and go straight to the spellwork. Except in potions, interesting. I propose you read the theory. It will make more difficult spellwork far easier to understand. You are loyal only to yourself but secretly yearn for the loyalty of others. You are very ambitious, aren't you? You want power but don't know for what. You also don't want to be noticed. To stay in the shadows, metaphorically speaking.'

Harry said to the Hat, 'Could you hurry up? I'm sure it's been more than half an hour already. I don't want everyone looking at me like at Longbottom.' and felt a mental poke.

'Calm down. It's only been four minutes. Longbottom liked to argue everything I read in his mind. Funny, if you think about it. He was basically arguing with himself. On with the sorting.' said the hat. 'There's no doubt you belong in Slytherin. You could give a young Salazar a run for his money and you posses his gift too. You have power and it will only grow stronger but I suggest you control your ambitions before they control you. Make too powerful a flame and you will burn thyself. Good luck, young vampire. Come visit me, sometimes, when you're older.'

"Slytherin!" Harry quickly took the hat off, gave it to professor McGonagall and went to the clapping table. Professor McGonagall looked surprised at his house but gave him a small smile as he gave her the hat. He sat down next to Daphne and quickly adopted his bored mask to conceal his unease at the Hat's words. He looked at the High Table, looking at the professors. Most didn't even look at him and Dumbledore only had eyes for his Golden only professor to look at him was the oily haired one. He gave him a long measuring stare before nodding and looking away. Harry asked Daphne, "Who is the professor with the dark, oily hair?"

Daphne said, "That's professor Snape. He is our Head of House and the Potions professor." Harry nodded and continued to watch the sorting.

"Selton, Audrey Artemis"

Audrey quickly took the hat on her head and jumped when she heard, 'Let's see what we have here. Mr. Potter's got me interested.'

She snorted and thought, 'What's so interesting about that prat? And how are you speaking in my mind?'

The Hat answered, 'I'm reading your mind and projecting my thoughts into it. As to what's so interesting about Mr. Potter. I really can't say but I can tell you that there is much more to him that meets the eye. Now let's see. You have a good head on your shoulders but you don't enjoy studying. Not Ravenclaw. You're not suited to Slytherin. Although ambitious you aren't capable of putting your goal before your comrades although there have been Slytherins that didn't do that. You would have a hard time because of your lineage. Very compasionate but you can hold a grudge when you want to. Very loyal. Hardworking. You'd do well in Hufflepuff but I doubt you want to go in Helga's house. Very brave. Godric would do well for you but what do you want? Griffindor would bring you glory but is that what you want? I am allowing you to decide but know this. Not every Griffindor was noble and not every Ravenclaw was smart. Helga was not always hardworking and nor was Slytherin as dark. Try to keep an open mind about our world.'

Audrey hesitated but answered the Hat, 'I wanna be in Griffindor!'

'Very well. I hope you don't regret your decision.' said the Hat, leaving Audrey severely shaken.

"Griffindor!"

She jumped of the stool, gave the Hat to McGonagall along with a small smile and went to sit at the Griffindor table. As she sat down next to Hermione she glanced at Harry confusedly but soon forgot all about the Hat's words as Hermione started a conversation.

"Thomas, Dean"

"Griffindor!"

"Turpin, Lisa"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Weasley, Ron"

"Griffindor!"

"Zabini, Blaise"

"Slytherin." said the Hat for the final time. McGonagall rolled the scroll and took the Hat away.

As soon as Blaise was seated the Headmaster stood up. He looked like the happiest man in the world and beamed at the students. He raised his arms, looking like some ridiculous priest and said, "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down and everyone clapped or cheered. Harry leaned to a prefect and asked, "Is he a bit mad?"

The prefect answered, "Yeah, he is. But I guess it's a trait of powerful wizards that they are a bit strange. Could you please pass the peas."

Harry already noticed the smell of the food so he casually passed them to the fifth year. The rest of the dinner passed quickly to Harry. He decided not to eat one thing but to try several different dishes. He found the food to be very good. He especially enjoyed pork chops, roasted chicken, roast beef, lamb chops, steak, sausages, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, ketchup, gravy and Yorkshire pudding. The only thing that bothered him was that the found possessed a lot of fat, which Harry did not enjoy. He sensed a presence and looked to his left. He saw a ghost looking at him and asked, "Do you, perchance, require anything?" The ghost smiled and Harry looked him over. was dressed in medieval clothes with a sword hanging from his left hip. The most noticeable trait was that he was covered in blood. Harry said, "Might I inquire as to how you became covered in blood?"

The ghost smiled again and said, "Ti's not my blood young one. It is the blood of my love. The only woman I've ever loved was struck down by my sword, her blood cursing me to a life of undeath." Harry nodded and looked around him to see everyone starring at him. As soon as he looked they all went back to eating. He looked back at the ghost but he already left.

The desserts soon appeared and Harry thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream and the apple pie. He found that he disliked both the pumpkin pie and the pumpkin juice. They both tasted to sweet to him and pumpkin juice was simply diluted pumpkin soup. As the dishes disappeared everyone started talking about their origin. The blond ponce said, "The Malfoy's have only been purebloods for four generations but the Blacks, from my mother's side, were purebloods since the thirteenth century." Everyone looked at him in awe.

Pansy Parkinson said, "The Parkinsons have been purebloods for six generations already."

"The Nott's have been purebloods since the fourteenth century." said Theodore Nott.

They all looked at Harry and Malfoy said, "I know about you. You're not a pureblood. Miss your mudblood mother?"

Harry gave him a look that instantly quited him and said, "It is true that my mother was muggleborn. But she had the highest newt scores in the last thirty years, which is something most purebloods never manage. That should prove that she was sufficiently talented and powerful. The Potter's, however, can trace their lineage back to William the Conqueror. I doubt one of your ancestors was a king. Although the Potter's do originate from William's second son."

Everyone looked at him with their mouth's open while Malfoy's eyes widened and he said, "My apologies, I have unjustly insulted your lineage. Please accept my apology."

Harry nodded and the conversation continued. They were interrupted by Dumbledore as he stood up again, "Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. Some of our older students should remember that as well." He looked at the Weasley twins, "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used in the corridors between classes. Quiditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who doesn't wish to die a very painful death." There were a few scattered laughs but everyone soon realised that he was serious.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the teachers' smiles became rather fixed. Dumbledore flicked his wand and ribbons started forming words in the air. "Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.

Everybody finished the song at different times. The last ones were the Weasley twins who were singing to a slow funeral march. When everyone finished Dumbledore wiped his eyes and said, "Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Everyone stood up and Harry, along with the rest of the first years, followed the fifth year prefects down into the dungeon. They stopped at a normal-looking wall but it gave off more magic than the other walls. The prefects said, "King of serpents." The wall disappeared and they entered the cozy room inside. The prefects told the first years, "Wait here for professor Snape. He will explain everything else. Oh, and remember the password. It gets changed every week." and left. Everyone sat down on the couches and started talking.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Severus Snape sat at the Head Table waiting for the first years. He analyzed them as soon as they entered, a habit from his spying days. He immediately noticed a few potential Slytherins, 'The Greengrass girl and the Zabini boy. The Nott possibly and Moon is a possibility. The Malfoy heir certainly along with his two bodyguards. The Parkinson girl and the Davis girl.' He grimaced, 'It's not that difficult to separate them from the others. Mostly spoiled brats and children that had rough lives. Abuse always leaves scars like paranoia and a lot of ambition.' remembering his own childhood.

He refused to look at Harry and only looked at him when he was sorted, 'He's looking bored but confident. Trying to mask his feeling? Hmm? His eye is constantly darting around, as if searching for a threat. His other eye is probably doing the same. It's almost unnoticeable so that means he had a lot of practice hiding it. He's light on his feet and is prepared to react at a moment's notice.' Harry turned a little bit and Severus' eyes widened, 'Merlin, he doesn't look like James at all. No glasses, he is a little taller and already has the beginnings of an athletic build. His facial structure reminds me more of Lily than of James. His features are softer than James'. And those eyes are exactly like Lily's.' His eyes got a little wetter at the memory of Lily. 'Please be a Griffindor. Please be like your father. Please spare me the pain by allowing me to hate you.' pleaded Severus as the Hat was placed on Harry's head. He noticed Minerva giving him a comforting look. The sorting took longer than most but suddenly the hat yelled, "Slytherin!"

Snape froze, 'Slytherin. Slytherin!? That settles it. He's nothing like his parents. Neither of them had any traits that belong in Slytherin. Did the Durleys' abuse him? I hope not but the signs all point towards it. It was emotional abuse probably. It couldn't have been physical abuse. He looks far too healthy. But he seems so in control of his environment. Did he, perhaps, outsmart them? Took control? He definitely isn't spoiled. Far too suspicious of everything.' he continued to observe him and noticed that Harry was looking at him. 'I'll treat him like any other Slytherin. Maybe a small amount of extra help.' he decided and nodded at Harry.

The rest of the feast passed quickly and after the announcements, 'Just tell them to go into the corridor, you daft man.' and the school song, 'I swear, they get worse every year.' he went to his office. In his office he prepared to give 'The Speach' to the first years. He stepped into the common room and everyone instantly noticed him.

He began, "I am Severus Snape, Potions master of Hogwarts and your Head of House. Being sorted into Slytherin is an honor. We have rules, though. First rule: Slytherins stick together. It means that you will keep all arguments and disagreements inside the Common room. Three quarters of this school hate or dislike us. We must present a united front. If you see a fellow Slytherin in danger help him. Second rule: Do not get caught. I know I will not be able to keep you from wandering and exploring the school. Vengeance is also a popular reason for leaving the Common room at night, after curfew. If you go outside then don't get caught and make sure it can't be traced back to you. A piece of advice, the portraits all spy for the headmaster. He ignores most rule-breaking but could interfere. Also, other teachers will believe other houses before Slytherin. Third rule: The Common room is for Slytherins only. The whole dungeons are considered Slytherin territory but you must never let another student inside the Slytherin Common room or Dorms. Fourth rule: The Slytherin Common room is a neutral zone. I will not stand for hexing and cursing inside the Common room. Keep all arguments verbal. There is, however, a tradition in Slytherin. Pranking student's belongings and rooms has been a tradition started by Slytherin himself. It promotes cunning and helps improve your spellcasting. I propose you look up on wards, looking charms, curses and other spells to protect your belongings and rooms. You have immunity until second year but after that everyone is allowed to 'prank' you. The only limitations are that you must not cause a permanent or debilitating injury to someone or their belongings. Revenge will often be in this form as well. I propose you do not anger any higher years until you are certain that your security measures will hold." The students were looking at him with wide eyes. "You shall get your timetables tomorrow. Get up at six o'clock in the morning or at least at seven."

"I shall now explain your dorms. To the left you have the girls' dorms and to the right are the boys' dorms. Each dorm possesses a bedroom, a bathroom, a large dresser and an empty room that you can use for anything you want. You are allowed to redecorate and to modify your room to your liking as long as you return it to the state it was when you leave. Goodnight." and turned to leave. He paused at the exit and turned back, "If you need any help do not hesitate to seek me out. Even the strongest need some help sometimes. Sleep well." and left.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Everyone quickly left to their rooms. Harry picked the second on the left and went inside after saying goodnight to the others. He looked at his room. A king-size four poster bed with green sheets and silver pillows. The floor was covered in a deep green rug and a fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace. There were even two bookcases and a desk between them. He took off his shoes and looked at the dresser. It was large enough to suit his needs. It had enough space to easily hold a large number of clothes and shoes. Next to it was a large mirror. Entering the bathroom he was surprised, again. It had a large sink, a big tub and a shower. Behind the sink was a mirror. Harry quickly started unpacking everything.

He opened his trunk and took out everything. He carefully folded his clothes and put them inside the dresser along with his shoes. He put his potion supplies inside the spare room and his books inside the bookcases. He decided to stay up a little longer and try to catch up on the theory behind spellcasting. He took the Hat's advice to heart and decided to read the theory first from now on. He went to bed late at night and quickly fell asleep after locking his door with a minor locking charm.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is probably going to be the only chapter for the next three weeks because I'm going on vacation and won't have Internet or a computer.

About the sorting hat, though. There will be a couple of dirty secrets about it but I'm not saying anything else.

I decided that Slytherin should have more room than other houses. Can you really imagine Draco Malfoy sharing a room with other boys? I can't.

I've also decided to make Snape a little nicer. I really don't want to demonize him.


End file.
